Shadows on the Wall
by mveloc
Summary: Slightly AU. What if the clones have been self-aware their entire lives? When Cosima goes in for some routine testing, she finds that a new doctor has been assigned to her.
1. I

"324B21."

"That's right. The subject's name is Cosima Niehaus."

It's a strange name, one she's never heard before, but as she stares at the picture attached to the file, it somehow seems to suit the wide-eyed, grinning girl staring back at her. She traces her finger over the image, familiarizing herself with the face. It's the same as a dozen others and yet distinct; the energy the girl exudes from her picture alone is completely different from the other subjects. It seems lighter, more airy and optimistic. She's aware that many of the subjects seem to suffer from various mental disorders, but there's no sign of darkness or disturbance with this one, at least not any she can discern.

"She'll be in later today. We like to run tests bi-monthly, just to make sure everything's running smoothly."

"Yes, I'm aware," she replies, flipping through the file.

"Good, good. You should familiarize yourself with the case. Cosima's proven to be quite an _interesting_ subject. I think you two will get along just fine."

She looks up from the documents and smiles at her superior. She had been working at DYAD for a couple of years when Doctor Leekie finally approached her and asked her to be a part of the project. She'd heard about it in passing, fascinated by the prospect of actual human clones, so when he told her that he thought she'd proven herself, she was more than willing to jump onboard. This project could revolutionize the world and ever since she was a teenage girl, sacrificing nights of drinking and partying with her friends to study for exams, all she ever wanted was to be a part of something like this.

"_D'accord_. Thank you, Aldous."

"No, no, no. Thank you, Delphine. I know you'll be a great addition to the project."

* * *

"You're gonna make me late!"

"Aren't you always late, anyway? Why do you care?"

She wriggles herself out of the redhead's grasp, sliding off the bed and collecting her clothing from the floor. She nearly forgot it was the first of the month and if her phone hadn't reminded her with the sound of a screeching alarm, she would have completely slept through her appointment.

"I have a doctor's appointment," she clarifies. "I can't be late. He'll be pissed."

The redhead smirks, descending from the bed as well. She wraps her arms around the dreadlocked girl's waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck while the hasty girl pulls her skirt on over her legs.

"C'mon. Stop it. I'm serious," the brunette warns, though her toothy grin strips all danger from the warning.

"Alright. Fine."

The redhead backs off, disappearing into the bathroom. She hears the shower running as she continues to pull the rest of her clothes on in a hurry; as tempting as morning sex is, she's already running behind and she doesn't have the time to indulge. The last time she was late to meet with Doctor Ramos, he'd bitched her out for twenty minutes about the value of his time and her complete lack of respect, among other things. She isn't in the mood to get an earful from him today.

"I'll talk to you later!" she shouts loud enough so that her voice is heard over running water.

The other girl pops her head out from the bathroom door.

"Really? Or are you just gonna ignore my texts for another three weeks and then call me when you wanna get laid again?"

"Hey, It's not like that," she protests.

"That's exactly what it's like, Cosima."

She tries to form some sort of an argument, but she knows the redhead is right. It's not like her to use people, she's always conscious of her partner's feelings, but she's been so busy with school and everything that she doesn't have time for dating or romance. She still craves contact like any human being, sex the most desired form of it, so whenever she finds herself just a little too lonely or a little too horny to deal, she scrambles to make a phone call and then stumbles into bed with whoever's willing to forgive her subsequent negligence. It's been Steph for the last few months, a girl she met in the cafe on campus. They ran into each other again in the library a week later, and then once more in the quad before they finally exchanged numbers. Then it was drinks and weed and lazy Sunday sex. It was simple, and the dreadlocked girl enjoyed simplicity wherever she could find it.

"You know how busy I am. I just don't have time for-"

"I know, I know. This is what it is, Cosima. No use playing pretend, we're both grownups here," she says, waving her hand in dismissal.

Cosima nods, offering Steph a small smile of apology before she grabs her bag and goes darting out the door. She needs to stop at her place first, because she knows if she shows up in yesterday's clothes and makeup, Doctor Ramos will undoubtedly pry beyond what few boundaries exist in her life, if they exist at all.

She needs a shower and a coffee and the five piece on her desk back home if she has any hope of making it through this day.

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit," she mutters under her breath, speedily walking down the long, white corridor.

She's eight minutes late and she already knows that Doctor Ramos is going to chew her apart because of it. She can see his office at the end of the hall and she picks up the pace until she breaks into a slow jog. She sees that the door is already propped open so she doesn't bother knocking when she finally reaches it, pushing it the rest of the way open and entering with a burst of enthusiasm.

"I know I'm late! I'm sorry! Traffic was a bitch and then-"

She immediately stops speaking when she realizes that it isn't Doctor Ramos sitting at his desk, but a much younger, slender blonde woman. She blinks rapidly, then darts her head from side-to-side, making sure she didn't walk into someone else's office by mistake.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "Did I -"

"You're in the right place," the blonde answers. "I'm Doctor Cormier."

She stands up from her desk, approaching the chaotic brunette with a smile. While Cosima manages to stop panicking momentarily, her confusion hasn't faded yet.

"Doctor Ramos is no longer with us. I'll be taking over for him," she explains.

"O-Oh. Okay."

She finds it odd, but doesn't complain. She never had much love for the man anyway. He was cold and humorless, glaring at her every time she made a cheeky comment, chastising her every time she spoke in slang, which was pretty frequently, her being from the Bay Area and all.

Now that the air is clear, she gives the blonde a once over, trying her best not to let her eyes linger on one place for too long; her hair is wild and golden, like an actress or a model, and it compliments her marble complexion perfectly. She's a few inches taller than the brunette, with a slender build and brown doe eyes that appear mesmerized by the shorter girl, causing a faint blush to creep onto Cosima's cheeks. The doctor bites her bottom lip gently, waiting to pass her subject's inspection.

"Shit," Cosima mumbles breathlessly, unaware that the words have left her mouth until it's too late.

"_Pardon_?"

"What?"

They both stand there, staring awkwardly at each other, unsure of how to proceed. Delphine decides to make the first move, offering the dreadlocked girl yet another smile and an extended hand in greeting.

_"Enchantée._"

Cosima accepts her hand, grinning like a dopey child.

"_Enchantée_," she repeats.

They maintain their grasp a little longer than is custom, neither women able to let go as they continue to stare into each others eyes, smiling. After a few seconds pass, they both become aware of their falter and they nervously withdraw their hands.

"Right. Okay. So, you're French?" Cosima asks, breaking through the thickness in the air.

"_Oui_."

"That's pretty rad."

"I'm sorry?" Delphine asks, cocking her head.

"Rad. Radical. It means radical. Like, awesome or cool. You know?"

"Oh. Okay."

Both women giggle awkwardly and Cosima stares at her feet, mentally kicking herself in the head for rambling. She has a tendency to let her thoughts flow freely when she's nervous, even against her better judgement. She feels like she's in high school again, uncertain in her skin, and while she's long since grown into herself, the blonde's coyness has her flush and faltering.

"If you would come this way, we'll start with the tests. I don't imagine we'll be too long," the French woman says.

"Yeah. Sure. Of course."

She follows Delphine closely down another hallway and they eventually reach a lab. The doctor leads her inside and by this point, she already knows the drill; she's been doing these tests ever since she can remember, it's become a ritual to her now. She removes her jacket and takes a seat, watching as Delphine pulls gloves over her hands.

"I'm Cosima, by the way," she says, trying to maintain an air of openness. "Right. But you probably already knew that. Stupid."

Delphine chuckles lightly as she watches the brunette stumble over her thoughts. She can see the gears turning in the clone's head, despite the fact that they've only known each other for less than ten minutes. It's a strange, innate understanding that she cannot explain, but it brings a warmness to her skin.

"You can call me Delphine if you'd like," she offers.

"Really? Isn't that a little... unprofessional?"

Delphine shrugs.

"Perhaps."

Cosima's grinning from ear-to-ear again.

"Well, I won't tell anyone if you won't."

"Deal," the blonde replies.

She swabs the dreadlocked girl's arm, then ties a tourniquet around it to make finding a vein easier for her. She's distracted, however, by the artwork on Cosima's arm and her fingers trace the line work, raising goosebumps on the brunette's flesh and sending a shiver up her spine.

"Oh. It's just a nautilus shell."

"It's beautiful," she says.

"Really? I was eighteen, drunk off my ass and sort of trying on the whole rebellion thing," she laughs.

Delphine inserts the needle into her arm, blood filling the chamber of the syringe. Cosima winces, because even though she has tattoos, there's something about this that is far more invasive. Delphine takes note, gently stroking Cosima's wrist with her free hand, attempting to soothe the shorter girl.

"Why the shell?" she asks, seeking to distract.

"Well, I'm from San Francisco. I grew up on the beach, so the ocean's just always felt like home to me," she begins. "And because, well, it's an example of a naturally occurring logarithmic spiral. I've always been fascinated by nature, you know? How these complex patterns always reappear, how there's always this perfect harmony, this balance, this symmetry with everything. I guess I'm just a major dork."

She's mesmerized by the clone's speech, watching as her free hand waves erratically in the air as she speaks, fascinated by the way her mind seems to work and just how _human _she is. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't the charmingly eccentric girl before her. Delphine finishes filling the last vial of blood, removing the needle from Cosima's arm and pressing a bandaid over the entry point.

"Not at all. I think you're very..."

She pauses, trying to find the word to describe other girl, only one never comes to mind. She smiles coyly when she realizes that she speaks two languages and even if she spoke a hundred more, and she still probably wouldn't be able to find a word that perfectly encapsulates the clone.

"Very... what? You can't leave me hanging like that, Delphine."

"I don't know the word," she confesses. "I can't think of one. But I mean that in the best way."

"... Thanks?"

They continue with the tests, Delphine asking her a series of routine questions that she knows so well by now, she can recite them in their exact order. This is the part where Doctor Ramos used to grow frustrated with her, as it was typical of the brunette to answer the more personal questions with jokes that he was never able to appreciate, but it's Delphine's first time and she doesn't want to make herself look like more of an idiot in front of the woman, so she's on her best behaviour.

"How would you describe your mood?" Delphine asks.

"Fine, I guess. Same as always. I haven't thrown myself in front of a train yet, so that's a good sign, huh?"

The doctor smiles and nods, scribbling in the file.

"When... oh."

"It's the sex question, right?" Cosima interjects.

Delphine raises an eyebrow, glancing in the clone's direction.

"I've answered these questions so many times, I know them by heart. Last time I had intercourse..."

She's hesitant to answer and she doesn't know why. The first time she was asked the question, she felt violated and insulted, asking how necessary such information was. Eventually, she just grew used to answering, learning to view the questions from a purely scientific standpoint. There's no privacy anymore. She isn't sure if there ever really was any. Ramos would ask her and she would answer without fear of judgement, for she didn't care what the doctor thought of her. But it's different with this woman. She suddenly finds herself hyperaware of her situation.

"Last night."

The blonde nods a little too rapidly, only she doesn't jot down any notes this time.

"You have a boyfriend then? Doctor Ramos didn't write anything about that in your file. How long have you-"

"No. No boyfriend," Cosima corrects her.

"Oh."

She can tell Delphine is confused, perhaps waiting for a little clarification. Cosima does her best to explain, her hands flailing wildly in their typical fashion as she tries to find the words to describe her current situation.

"I have a friend. We're not a couple or anything, but sometimes we sort of end up in bed... together... yeah."

"Oh," Delphine replies more firmly, finally cluing in. "I see."

Silence descends upon the two and the air in the room is still, despite their anticipation. Cosima knows the questions that are to follow, but the blonde's reluctant to ask them and so they both shift nervously in their seats. Finally, Delphine closes her file and stares up at the brunette.

"I think that's enough for today."

"Really?"

Doctor Ramos had never cut a session short before. He was very adamant that she answer every question, that it was important data that needed to be collected. From what Cosima understood, he had strict orders that he was to follow and she assumed it was the same for Delphine, as well.

"Won't you get in trouble? I mean, you're kinda sorta supposed to ask me all those super personal questions," she teased.

Delphine suddenly grew very serious and Cosima knew that the time for jokes had vanished. She sat up a little straighter in her chair, locking eyes with the doctor in an intense gaze that made her feel more exposed than any of those invasive queries ever could.

"Can I ask you something different?"

"Shoot."

"Does it...," Delphine began, wondering if she was perhaps overstepping her boundaries. "Does it bother you, all these tests?"

Cosima's brow furrows in thought as she allows the question to stew in her mind. Nobody had ever asked her that before. Strangely enough, she had never asked herself that question before. It seemed rather pointless to ask, so she pushed it far from her thoughts.

"Hm. I've never really thought about it before. Sometimes, I guess. Doctor Ramos was kind of a dick though. He doesn't have your bedside manner," she explains, a Cheshire cat grin settling back where it belongs.

A soft blush starts to creep up the blonde's features and she's fidgeting with the pen in her hand. She was never any good at accepting compliments, but she's normally able to brush them off and wade through conversation. The brunette completely disarms her with a joke and a simple smile.

"But I've been doing this for so long, I guess I'm just used to it. By the time I was six, I pretty much knew the whole deal, " Cosima adds.

Delphine nods in understanding and she can't help but feel somewhat sorry for the girl whose been held under a microscope since the second she was born. Despite this, the quirky girl maintains an innocence about her, with a childlike sense of wonder for the world she was purposely made part of, manifesting itself in a nautilus shell on her wrist.

"Thank you," Delphine replies.

The brunette is unsure of what she's being thanked for, but as the doctor rises to her feet, she does the same. She straightens her dress and slips her jacket back on, unable to contain her smile. She's well aware of the fact that she's been acting like a puppy since the second she walked through the door to meet her new doctor, but there's a giddiness inside her that she can't seem to contain, a burst of life that is strangely unfamiliar to her.

"I guess I'll see you around then, huh?" Cosima asks.

"I imagine so."

It's clear that the meeting is over, but neither woman is entirely sure how to conclude it. With Doctor Ramos, she'd simply leave without saying anything at all, but that doesn't seem appropriate here. She wonders just what would be appropriate; what definition encompasses the boundaries that have been erected between their particular instance of doctor and subject? A handshake seems too informal now, a hug perhaps the opposite. As Cosima stares into Delphine's eyes, she realizes that the doctor is trapped in the very same purgatory.

"Sorry. I don't mean to be such a geek," Cosima apologizes.

"It's fine," Delphine laughs at the fluster the dreadlocked girl has worked herself into, shaking her head to dismiss the clone's apology. "I think it's endearing."

Cosima freezes, the bumbling words and erratic hand movements ceasing as she registers what the doctor says._ Endearing_. That was something she'd never heard before, at least in regards to her tangents.

"Shit. Really?"

The air in the room changes, catching both women off guard. Delphine finds that it's becoming increasingly difficult to breathe with the clone's eyes settled on her and she feels a tiny surge of unfamiliar panic as she runs a hand through her golden mane; yet another nervous trait of hers, along with the lip biting.

"I should probably..." she begins, pointing towards the door.

Cosima is standing between her and freedom. It takes a minute for the brunette to tune in and realize that Delphine is trying to make her exit and as soon as she does, she's back to her usually awkward self.

"Oh. Right. You probably have a ton of work to do. I won't keep you."

Cosima steps to the left, allowing the blonde to pass. Delphine steps forward to make her escape, but she pauses just before sauntering by her subject, a shy smile on her face.

"Goodbye, Cosima," she says softly, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder.

Cosima's heart flutters in her chest and a shiver shoots up her spine, the signal reaching her lips and forcing them into a gleaming smile. The two linger for a moment before the doctor finally pulls away, disappearing through the door and leaving the grinning clone standing there, wondering what the hell she just walked into. It takes her a minute to compose herself, but once she does, Cosima makes her way down the hall, heading towards the building's exit; she has a lab later today that she needs to prepare for, but despite this, the only thing on her mind is the feel of Delphine's hand on her shoulder, the blonde's coy smile and the accent which managed to transport her back in time nearly fifteen years, to a state of awkwardly hormonal adolescence. As she pushes through the large, glass doors and is greeted by the sunlight, her smile slowly fades away.

"Shit."

She remembers that despite the hand on her shoulder, the smile, and the irresistible accent, Delphine is her _doctor_. Despite the flutter in her chest and the aching in the pit of her stomach, Delphine exists on an entirely separate plain, one that the brunette will never be privy to. Upon realizing this, the flutter disappears, replaced by a dull, throbbing sensation.

"Shit," she repeats.

Why does she always find herself in these impossible situations?


	2. II

"Are you even listening to a word I'm saying, Cos?"

She's been staring into her crimson reflection for the better part of an hour, occasionally taking a sip of wine and nodding in agreement to maintain the appearance that she's engaged in whatever tale Sarah is disclosing. Upon hearing her British clone's voice, she finally returns from her thoughts and is very aware of the two pairs of eyes currently scanning her suspiciously.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm just a bit distracted," she apologizes.

Despite her annoyance at being ignored, Sarah nods her head, forgiving her dreadlocked sister. Cosima is usually so lively and dominant when it comes to conversation, thriving off the social interaction, but tonight she's been nothing but silent. They haven't seen each other in a few weeks and the punk can't help but wonder what has her spectacled counterpart so lost in her own mind.

"And does this "distraction" have a name?"

Felix's question comes with an all-knowing smirk. He brings his glass to his lips, finishing the pint of Guinness before pouring himself another from the pitcher which he and his foster sister are sharing. Sarah's still working through hers and she takes a swig, her own smirk emerging at her brother's intuition. When Cosima realizes she's been made, her smile makes three.

"Yeah, but it's complicated."

"Ooh, the plot thickens," Felix chimes enthusiastically. "Do tell."

Cosima shakes her head and laughs at the younger boy's eagerness. Both Sarah and Cosima aren't ones for girl talk. They're both good listeners and shoulders to cry on, but when it comes to dishing out advice, neither one of them can claim to be experts, at least in regards to matters of the heart; Sarah's history of failed and abusive relationships makes her less than qualified, as does Cosima's lack of longstanding or significant ones. Felix, despite his youth and trade, always seems to be the most in tune with the subject of relationships, surprisingly enough, and he delights at the prospect of sharing his wisdom.

"Her name's Delphine. She's French," Cosima confesses.

"I shagged a Frenchman once. He was very... _virile_. Screamed like a kid on Christmas."

Sarah and Felix snicker from their side of the booth and Cosima can't help but giggle herself. She takes a sip of her wine and shakes her head, trying to hide her smile and the faint blush that's beginning to creep into her cheeks.

"How about yours, Cos? She a screamer, too?" Sarah asks.

She tips her head back, emptying the rest of her glass with a few long gulps while Sarah and Felix work themselves into a fit of laughter. Sometimes Cosima wonders why she even bothers going out with the two, as they immediately turn into children whenever they're around each other, often leaving either Cosima, Beth or Alison to chaperone their antics.

"It's not like that," she replies, piercing through their laughter. "She's... she's kind of my new doctor."

"Eh? What happened to Doctor Dickhead?' Sarah asks, sitting up a little straighter and suddenly becoming much more serious.

Cosima shrugs.

"Don't know. But I showed up last week for my tests and she was there, said she was my new doctor."

Sarah sighs heavily, leaning back in the booth and shaking her head. She can tell her sister is conflicted about her new French doctor, the one she's undeniably smitten with, but she can't think of a single satisfying solution to Cosima's dilemma.

"Shit. That's a tough break," is all she utters.

"She's French and a doctor. That's like a Cosima wet dream," Felix adds.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for rubbing salt into the wound," Cosima mumbles.

A brief air of silence descends upon the trio and they decide to order another round of drinks, with Felix and Sarah picking up the dreadlocked girl's tab in an unusual gesture of generosity (although Cosima suspects it's really an act of sympathy). It's not like her to mope or pine over someone; she's been so busy with school, with her dissertation, that it's not like she even has time to pursue anyone. Not only that, but she'd only met Delphine once and spent an accumulative hour in her presence, which hardly gave her the right to yearn.

"Is there any way that she can, like, not be your doctor?" Sarah asks, trying to brainstorm ways to help Cosima.

"I don't think it's that simple, Sarah. And this is her career we're talking about. I'm not going to just go up to her and be like "Hey, Delphine. Do you mind resigning as my doctor so that I can continue to gawk over you and fantasize about the impossibility that is anything remotely romantic ever happening between us? I would really appreciate it." It's just not going to happen, okay?"

"Jesus. Self-deprecating, much?" Felix quips.

"Well, it's true."

"I thought you always said that nothing was impossible, Cos?" Sarah asks, arching an eyebrow at the tattooed clone.

Normally, she would be inclined to agree. The American clone is a firm believer that with action comes reaction, that there is always a reason if one looks hard enough, and that nothing is truly impossible if one has the right attitude and proper resources at their disposal. However, Delphine Cormier is a confound to her theory.

"Believe me. This is."

Sarah continues drinking, as if alcohol will suddenly provide her with great insight or a stroke of genius. She has failed to learn from her past mistakes, but she drinks anyway, Cosima's dilemma bouncing around in her mind like a pinball, the beer in her hand the flipper.

"But she sent you signals, yeah?" she asks.

"I-I don't know. I think so, but maybe she was just being friendly," Cosima replies, characteristically waving her hands around as she ponders Sarah's question.

"Oh, come on. Your gaydar's on par with mine. She either fancies you or she doesn't," Felix interjects.

Cosima didn't feel any overtly gay vibes radiating from Delphine, but she would be lying if she didn't admit to the tiny sparks that flew between them as they shook each other's hands, or as Delphine traced the line work of her tattoo, or as she placed a hand gently on Cosima's shoulder right before she disappeared. It was something she had never felt before, so she wasn't sure if she could classify it as a display of interest. Cosima was the type to withhold judgement until she had all of the facts and right now, Delphine was a giant question mark in her mind.

"There was definitely something there. I can't just be imagining it. I think she felt it, too. She was just as awkward and nervous and terrified as I was," she attempts to explain.

She fidgets with her wine glass, running her finger around the rim and sighing deeply. Sarah and Felix exchange glances, wishing there was something more they could do to pull the spectacled clone out of her down state.

There's only one thing they can think of.

"Shots!" they both holler in unison.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no. God no," Cosima replies, waving her hands.

Sarah and Felix repeat their demand, banging on the table and catching the attention of everyone in the tiny bar. The server looks annoyed and quickly makes her way over to their table. Cosima offers her an apology while Felix and Sarah order nine shots of tequila.

"Nine?" Cosima asks incredulously. "Are you two insane?"

"Three for each of us," Felix explains with a grin.

"You'll forget all about your hot French doctor soon enough," Sarah says.

"We'll make sure of it," Felix adds.

Cosima moans and buries her face in her hands, suddenly wishing she had stayed home and studied like she had initially planned on doing this evening before Sarah had texted her. She's almost thirty, not twenty-one, and her days of getting stupidly inebriated are far behind her.

"C'mon, Sarah. I'm too old for this," she protests.

"Oh, fuck off. You're never too old to get pissed," Sarah replies. "Besides, we're the same age, you silly twat. Now quit your moaning and drink."

Cosima releases a long sigh and reaches for the first shot.

* * *

"Doctor Cormier?"

She stops dead in her tracks at the sound of her name and turns around to find a darker skinned man in a suit standing there, his hands folded. She recognizes him as a security detail and though she is confused, she offers him a polite smile.

"Yes?" she asks.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I know you're probably heading home for the evening, but Doctor Leekie told me to find you before you left. He wants to speak with you in his office," the man explained.

"Oh. Of course. Thank you."

The man nods his head and then ventures onward to continue with his duties. Delphine clutches her bag a little tighter and turns back around, heading towards the elevator that she had exited only a minute earlier. She couldn't ignore a request from Leekie so she canceled her plan to head home and headed for his office instead.

When she finally arrives at Leekie's office, she knocks gently to catch his attention. He looks up from the file he was flipping through and smiles, motioning for her to step into his office. Delphine obliges, entering the room and approaching the desk which he's seated behind.

"You asked to see me?" she inquires.

"Yes. Have a seat."

She sits down across from Leekie, placing her bag on the floor beside the chair. Leekie closes the file he was previously flipping through and stares straight at the young blonde in front of him, another smile spreading across his features.

"I was going through your file on 324B21, examining your notes from last week's round of testing. I noticed that there was quite a bit of information missing," he begins. "Care to explain?"

Delphine sighs, shifting in her seat. She was hoping that he hadn't examined her notes thoroughly enough, but apparently he had. She had let Cosima leave without asking her a number of the standard questions and now she was answering for it.

"I found many of the questions to be irrelevant," she explains.

Leekie nods, then straightens himself slightly.

"Protocol is protocol, Delphine. It exists for a reason."

"I understand that, Aldous. But I can't help but think that some of those questions are-"

"I understand your concerns," Leekie interrupts her. "The truth is, all of the subjects have signed off on these tests. Not only that, but all of these questions are designed so that we can help. Everything we do, we do with their well-being in mind."

She runs a hand through her wild mane, still uncomfortable with the idea of prying so deeply into the intimate details of Cosima's personal life.

"How does knowing the last time a subject had intercourse help them? How does knowing all the details about their sexual encounters help them? It seems a little invasive and inappropriate," she replies, trying to defend her position.

Leekie slowly rises from his seat, standing up and making his way around the desk towards Delphine in a calculated manner.

"Well, let's say that one of our subjects is going through some sort of emotional or mental turmoil. Promiscuity is a very good indicator, as is celibacy. You know, in cases of Borderline Personality Disorder, promiscuity is considered to be a telltale sign. On the flip side, a low sex drive can indicate depression, or some sort of chemical imbalance in the brain. There's a lot we can learn about an individual by their sex life. Do you disagree?"

He's standing directly in front of her now, leaning back against his desk while still maintaining eye contact. He's trying to appear more personable and she chews on her bottom lip, wanting to disagree with him but knowing that he's ultimately right.

"No."

He smiles again, patting her on the shoulder.

"I don't know how keen I would be on disclosing all the intimate details of my sex life, but if it can help us monitor our subjects more effectively, if it can help us catch budding issues before they begin to bloom, then isn't it worth it?"

"I... I suppose so."

When he put it that way, it seemed perfectly reasonably, but the blonde still has a hard time accepting it. She does't want to pry into Cosima's life that way; she would much rather learn about Cosima from Cosima herself, by the clone's own volition. Over the course of the last week, she finds her thoughts always coming back to the dreadlocked clone whether she wants them to or not. She can't seem to shake her from her head.

"If it's going to be a problem for you, I can remove you from the case," Leekie says.

Delphine snaps back to reality.

"No. That won't be necessary."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."

Leekie has taken his seat once again, folding his hands as he examines a fidgeting Delphine with great scrutiny.

"What do you think of Cosima?" he asks.

"Oh, she's brilliant. And kind. And interesting. And..."

She doesn't really know what else to say, so she throws in as many adjectives she can think of. Leekie chuckles lightly as she tries her best to categorize the eccentric girl.

"Yes, you're right. I knew you two would get along. In fact, once she finishes with her schooling, I'm going to invite her to work here at the institute," he says.

Delphine's heart skips a beat.

"R-Really?"

"I think she'd be a good fit, don't you?"

"Of course!" she responds enthusiastically. "That would be perfect."

"That's part of the reason why I assigned you to her case. I knew you were more than capable of handling it, but I also knew that you two would work well together. She didn't seem to get along very well with Ramos, but perhaps if she grows to trust you and see you as a friend, she'll seriously consider coming to work here with us."

Delphine's all smiles and nods. When she thinks about actually working _with_ Cosima instead of _on _her, she feels a fire in the pit of her stomach. She thinks about seeing Cosima every day, working with her as an equal and actually getting to know her as more than just her subject, and her heart flutters.

"But don't forget that at the end of the day, she is still your subject," Leekie adds. "There's nothing wrong with forming a bond. In fact, it's expected. I've formed a bond with my own subject, but the important thing is not to allow that bond to cloud our judgement. If we want to be good at our jobs, if we want to revolutionize the world and keep our subjects healthy and safe, we have to maintain a level of objectivity. Do you understand?"

Delphine nods.

"Alright then. I expect your next report on 324B21 to be more detailed," he concludes.

"_Oui_. I promise."


	3. III

**Author's Note:** Once again, you guys are the best. Thanks for all the feedback, it means a lot. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

"Oi! Would you stop your pissing and moaning already? You promised Fee you'd be here to support him."

Waves of people flow from every direction as Sarah, Cosima and Alison attempt to fight their way through without getting separated, which was proving to be an increasingly difficult task. It was nearly ten o'clock, but the entire city was alive and moving, as it usually was during Nuit Blanche.

"Yes, but I wasn't aware that the circus was in town, as well," Alison huffs, pushing her way through a group of unruly teenagers with technicolored hair and too many piercings to count.

Cosima follows closely behind as the three women approach their destination. Felix has his own exhibit and the ladies decided that they would pay him a visit to show him their support. It was rare for Alison to travel outside of her comfy Suburban neighbourhood, but she was willing to make an exception for the young artist.

"I thought this was supposed to be an evening of art. Why are all these hoodlums and miscreants out roaming the streets?"

Sarah rolls her eyes and continues to push through the hordes of people on her way to her brother's exhibit, Alison close to her side as her rougher British counterpart shoves people heedlessly. Cosima is trailing behind, trying her hardest to keep up with her sisters, but Queen Street is a river of bodies and Cosima eventually loses sight of them. She sighs in frustration but continues on her journey; she knows where Felix's exhibit is so she doesn't need Sarah or Alison to lead her there.

People crash against the petite brunette as she tries to wade through them while maintaining her footing. She keeps her head low and weaves in and out between bodies until finally, she feels someone slam into her roughly from behind, causing her to stumble forward into the person in front of her. The man whom she crashes into shoots her a dirty look and she apologizes even though it wasn't entirely her fault; there were too many people in the crowd pushing each other in an attempt to get through that there had been a sort of domino effect in action.

"I'm so sorry!" she hears a voice from behind her, presumably belonging to the person who had run into her.

Cosima's entire body freezes up. She instantly recognizes the voice as the one she has been hearing in her head on a loop for the last couple of weeks; the French accent is distinct, as well as the softness in which it is spoken.

"Delphine?" she asks, whipping around.

There is no mistaking the slender blonde woman that was standing there, a look of bewilderment upon her face when she recognizes Cosima.

"Hey!" Cosima says in greeting, a wide smile on her face.

"Cosima? _Bonsoir_! I didn't think I would run into anyone I know out here! There are so many people!" Delphine replies.

As they stop to exchange greetings, the crowd of people they are engulfed in continues to move, many slamming into them. Delphine stumbles forward when someone pushes against her from behind a little too hard, forcing her into Cosima. The brunette opens her arms to receive her, holding her steady in tight embrace that both women are far too conscious of.

"I'm sorry," Delphine apologizes. "Perhaps we should..."

"Yeah, let's get the hell out of this crowd," Cosima finishes.

She reaches for Delphine's hand, grabbing it tightly as she assumes a bit of Sarah's earlier aggressiveness, shoving at bodies left and right as she clears a path for herself and the doctor. After a few minutes, the two finally manage to break away and find a less crowded side street where they can continue their conversation. They finally stop in front of a lamp post, although Cosima doesn't release Delphine's hand just yet.

"You're so warm," Delphine remarks.

"What? Oh. Sorry," Cosima says, realizing that she's still maintaining her grip.

She releases the blonde from her grasp, but Delphine quickly reclaims Cosima's hand, causing the clone's heart to flutter in her chest. She reaches for Cosima's other hand, as well, tugging her just a little closer.

"It's so cold out here. I didn't think it would get so cold so early. My hands are freezing," Delphine explains.

"O-Of course," Cosima replies.

Because why else would she be holding her hands?

"Are you okay?" Delphine inquires, detecting the nervous energy radiating off Cosima.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just a little... I didn't expect to run into you out here," she tries to explain. "I mean, what are the odds? The entire city is out tonight and out of everyone, I run into you."

They both laugh at the idea, but it seems the fates are playing a cruel trick on the dreadlocked girl. She'd spent the last couple of weeks trying to push the blonde from her thoughts, coming to the conclusion that fantasizing about her doctor was a pointless waste of time, and now here they are, holding hands and making smalltalk.

"Are you out here alone?" Delphine asks.

"Oh, no. I was with some of my friends. Other clones, actually."

"Really? Intriguing."

"Not really. One is about as dense as a dying sun and the other has subscription to O magazine. About as far from intriguing as you can get," Cosima jokes.

Delphine giggles at the clone's wit, but Cosima is occupied with the French woman's hands. She threads her fingers through Delphine's, her thumb stroking gently over the smoothness of her skin, thinking of how perfectly they seem to fit together. When she finally looks up from their hands, she finds the doctor staring right back at her, an enigmatic smile on her face that puzzles the clone- a difficult feat to accomplish.

"How about you? Are you here alone?" Cosima asks, pulling her hands away from Delphine's and slipping them in her pockets.

"Yes. I was working very late. The streets were so crowded, I wondered what was going on. A coworker told me it was some sort of art festival so I figured I'd come and see," she explains.

"Well, this is Nuit Blanche," Cosima replies, gesturing towards all the loudness.

The blonde is giggling again and Cosima shoots her a suspicious stare.

"What?"

"It's nothing," Delphine says through her laughter.

Cosima crosses her arms over her chest. The blonde continues to giggle lightly, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. Cosima just stares expectantly, leg locked and hip cocked, waiting for the blonde to explain herself. When the laughter finally subsides, Delphine speaks.

"It's just... your French could use a little work."

Cosima blinks.

"My French?"

"Your pronunciation. It's very... American."

"Well, I'm American. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should be allowed to butcher other languages."

"Hey, hey, hey! Who's butchering what? I don't even eat meat!"

Delphine is laughing once again, this time at the cheeky clone's defensiveness. The cocky girl isn't used to being laughed at; she's much too quick to be made the subject of a joke. Despite being slightly offended, she can't hide her grin and she steps a little closer to Delphine, pushing her gently in a playful manner.

"If you have a problem with my French, then maybe you should teach me. It's kinda rude to tell someone they're wrong and then not give them any sort of guidance or advice, you know."

"Yes, yes. You're right," Delphine nods, her grin matching Cosima's. "It isn't that difficult, really. It's all in the lips and tongue."

Lips.

Tongue.

"I'm sorry, _what_?"

"The lips. And the tongue," Delphine clarifies. "It's all about where you put them, how you move them. You Americans have such hard mouths. French requires a certain softness, _oui_?"

Cosima eyes are now focused intently on the doctor's mouth and she wonders just how soft it is, how pliant those lips are, how attentive that tongue is. She becomes conscious of her own leering and shakes her head, trying to force the thought from her head.

"Oi! Cosima! There you are!"

Both women turn around. They're met by Sarah, who's managed to fight her way through the crowd over to them.

"Thought we lost you for a sec," she says to Cosima.

She then turns to face Delphine, giving her a once over.

"This the doctor?" she asks, unable to contain her smirk. "Shit."

Cosima groans and shakes her head while the British clone snickers. Delphine doesn't entirely grasp the exchange, as she is distracted by Sarah's likeness to Cosima; she's never actually seen another one of the subjects in person and it's strange for her, seeing someone who has the same face as Cosima but shares virtually nothing else with the dreadlocked clone. She realizes that both subjects are staring at her and she roots herself back in reality.

"I'm Delphine," she says, extending her hand towards Sarah.

"Sarah."

As the two shake hands, Delphine is very aware of how different Sarah's hands are from Cosima's; Sarah's grip is firm while Cosima's is soft and gentle, almost teasing, as if she were exploring uncharted territory.

"Cos told me about you," she says, pulling her eyes away from the doctor to settle them back on Cosima.

Cosima is red in the cheeks, giving her sister the best death glare she can muster, which only spurs Sarah even further.

"Good things, I hope," the doctor says with a smile.

"Oh, the very best."

"Shouldn't you go find your brother?" Cosima finally interjects, doing her best to hide her annoyance.

"I came to find you. You coming?"

Cosima hesitates, looking over to Delphine. She doesn't want to leave the golden goddess on her own, but she did promise Felix that she would come to support him. Sarah picks up on her sister's dilemma and makes a suggestion of her own.

"Why don't you come, too, Doc?"

"Sarah's brother has an exhibit just down the street," Cosima explains. "I told him I'd come say hi. Do you wanna come?"

Now it's Delphine's turn to hesitate. She wonders how professional it would be if she were to spend some time with Cosima outside their doctor-patient relationship, but then she remembers Leekie's words, how he wants her to earn Cosima's trust and friendship so that they can recruit her to DYAD. When she considers what she really wants to do, she decides that she does want to go with Cosima.

"Of course," Delphine says, offering Cosima a smile.

Sarah flashes Cosima a quick wink, one that goes unnoticed by the blonde, and Cosima fights the urge to both kick and kiss her meddling sister. The three women head back into the crowd, making their way downstream until they finally spot Felix and Alison. Sarah hollers her brother's name and goes racing over to him while Cosima and Delphine remain close together, following behind.

"Well, well. Look who finally made it," Felix says, eying Cosima.

"She brought a friend, too," Sarah says.

Felix's eyes go to Delphine.

"The doctor?" he asks.

"Yep," Sarah answers.

"Shit."

Cosima groans once again, her eyes shooting daggers at the two as they snicker. Delphine leans over, whispering in Cosima's ear.

"Why are they laughing?" she asks.

"Just ignore them."

"Would you two leave Cosima alone?" Alison asks, trying to play mediator.

She introduces herself to Delphine with a warm smile, characteristic of her housewife persona, and Cosima is thankful that at least Alison isn't out to make her life even harder than it already is. Once everyone is introduced, Felix continues with his work while Alison and Sarah snap at each other and Cosima and Delphine linger off to the side, whispering amongst themselves.

"So, I don't think the others will miss us too much if we duck away for a second. Wanna maybe grab a coffee or a tea or something? I'm starting to freeze my ass off, too," Cosima suggests.

"Okay. Sounds good," Delphine nods.

As Cosima leads Delphine away from Felix's exhibit, she can see both the artist and his sister are watching her with an all-knowing smirk and she makes a mental note to smack them later. Delphine weaves an arm through Cosima's as the clone leads her through the crowd, trying to stay close together so they don't get separated. Delphine's close proximity causes Cosima to tremble slightly and when the blonde inquires, she chalks it up to the cold and hopes that the doctor buys it.

"This festival is a little chaotic," Delphine comments, watching as a group of drunk boys and girls go whizzing by, slamming into other people and shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Well, that's Nuit Blanche for you," Cosima replies. "The adults like to pretend they're cultured and college kids like an excuse to get drunk and roam the streets."

"Aren't you a college kid?" she teases.

"Hey, man. Being a PhD student does not make me a "college kid." I wasn't even a "college kid" when I was doing my undergrad."

"You're very mature."

"Mmm. And don't you forget it."

Delphine laughs at the shorter girl's cockiness and grips her arm a little tighter.

"So, you never got drunk and roamed the streets of San Francisco?"

"Maybe when I was, like, fifteen. But by the time I was in my senior year of high school, I'd graduated to warehouse raves," Cosima explains.

"Ah, so you were one of those kids."

Cosima stops, sliding herself out of Delphine's grasp as she turns to face the blonde. Delphine shoots her a questioning glance, wondering why she's come to a halt.

"Don't you already know all of this?" Cosima asks, growing serious. "I mean, you had to have read my file by now. Isn't my entire life documented?"

Delphine nods.

"Yes, but I'd rather hear it from you. It's one thing to read something on a piece of paper. Getting to know someone, I mean _really_ getting to know them, takes a lot more effort than reading a few notes about their rebellious youth."

Cosima smiles.

"That's true."

They continue on their way, eventually spotting a cafe that is still open. Cosima pushes the door open and holds it for the blonde as they both step inside and wait in line to place their order.

"How about you? Ever go to any warehouse raves?" she asks.

"Oh, no, no. Not me. Many of my friends did. House and techno music are very big in France, at least, they were when I was younger. It seemed like everyone was doing drugs and going to these huge underground parties. I'm not so sure what kids do now."

Cosima can't contain her laughter.

"Wow, you sound so old."

"I'm wise beyond my years," Delphine plays along.

"Ah. Is that right?" Cosima goads, stepping a little closer to her.

She's all confidence and thunder now, challenging the doctor.

"_Oui_. _Bien sur_," Delphine replies, taking a step closer herself.

Both women are painfully aware of how close they are, now regretting calling each others bluff. As they become locked in stare, Delphine feels the air shift; it's thick now, just as it was in the lab when they had first met, the lab that she hurried out of when she found it too difficult to breathe. Cosima opens her mouth to speak, but her words are balled in her throat and she closes her mouth again. She's rescued by the barista, a perky young blonde, who asks them for their orders. They both order a tea and leave the cramped cafe as quickly as possible as soon as they have their drinks.

"You know," Delphine says, as the two walk side-by-side down the street, periodically sipping from their cups. "Doctor Leekie speaks very highly of you."

"Really?" Cosima asks.

"Yes. He told me that he wants you to work at the institute as soon as you're finished school."

Delphine's confession catches Cosima off guard. She's aware that DYAD is one of the leading forces in the field of biotechnology, that they're busy tackling research that most scientists would dream of being a part of. She never actually thought that being part of such a movement would be possible for her.

"I-I'm just some geek, hippie clone freak," she replies, trying to laugh it off. "Why would Leekie want me?"

Delphine grabs Cosima's arm, stopping her abruptly. The clone turns to face her and this time, the blonde is the one with a deadly serious expression. Her steady and penetrating gaze unnerves Cosima and she shifts in place.

"Why wouldn't he?" she asks.

Cosima eyes divert to the ground, but the sound of her name coming from Delphine's lips brings them back up to the doctor.

"You're not a freak. I think you're very..."

She searches, searches, but like her first encounter with Cosima, she can't quite find the words to describe her.

"Just... you're not a freak," she emphasizes.

Cosima nods, unable to peel her eyes away from Delphine's.

"I really hope you'll consider DYAD once you're done school. I know you'll probably get many offers from many different institutes, but I'd really love the chance to work with you. I think we could build great things together."

Cosima can't contain her smile.

"Okay. I will."

Cosima's text tone goes off and she reaches for her phone, seeing that Sarah has texted her, asking her if she's coming back.

"It's Sarah," Cosima mutters. "She wants to know if we're coming back."

"I-I should probably go. It's late and I have work in the morning."

"Sure. Okay."

Delphine steps a little closer and they're as close as they were in the coffee shop just minutes earlier, although this time, the blonde isn't as nervous, isn't quite as desperate for air. She smiles at Cosima.

"It was good spending time with you, Cosima. I enjoyed myself."

"Yeah. Me, too."

The blonde leans in and Cosima's heart stops beating, her mouth goes dry. The world goes mute and everything else becomes secondary as Delphine's lips press against the left corner of her mouth in slow motion, followed by the right, in a characteristically European farewell.

"Ciao," she whispers.

The brunette isn't exactly sure what she says in response, but it's something along the lines of "see you later," and some weird, stumbling, animalistic noise. She watches the blonde disappear into another crowd of people and she licks her lips, closing her eyes to remember the feel of Delphine's lips lingering dangerously close to her own, committing the sensation to memory. She can already hear Sarah's voice dancing around in her head.

_"You're so screwed."_


	4. IV

**Author's Note:** Sorry this one took so long! I've been in the process of moving so I haven't had a lot of time to write as of late. But now that I'm all moved in, let the writing commence. As always, you guys are wonderful. I really appreciate all the feedback I get and I'm glad so many of you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Things are about to get a little more complicated in the lives of team science mega force, so stay tuned :)

* * *

"_Merde."_

Delphine groans, rolling over onto her left side and pulling the pillow over her head in a meaningless attempt to find comfort. She's been tossing and turning for the last three hours, trying desperately to fall into the haze of sleep, only to be met by bitter disappointment. She knows she has to be up in a couple of hours for work, but this knowledge does nothing to help her.

This struggle for slumber has been plaguing her ever since Nuit Blanche, since her and Cosima actually had a chance to talk as individuals, rather than a doctor and her patient. That night, when she tucked herself in bed and prepared to grab a few of hours of sleep before she had to be back at DYAD, she was awakened prematurely by a dream that was so vivid, she could swear it was real.

In the dream, she felt a pair of lips hot on her neck and she moaned loudly, only to be met by that familiar, throaty chuckle as the lips trailed down her body, lower and lower, approaching where they were most needed. She squirms in anticipation and can hear soft whispers of affection expelled from the woman's mouth in warm, teasing breaths. And right as she feels her tongue slip lower, she springs awake. This dream, as well as others that were all similar in theme, had been keeping her awake at night and leaving her in a perpetual state of exhaustion. She isn't sure what to make of it, but she knows that every time she closes her eyes to catch a moment's peace, she is met by Cosima.

She finally sits up, running a hand through her messy curls, taking a deep breath to steady herself. This is becoming a real problem, one she's never really had to deal with before. When she was in high school, she used to have dreams about Clément, a boy who was a year above her, who was the object of her silent desire from ages fifteen to seventeen. But even her dreams with Clément were never this vivid and she's not a teenager anymore. Not to mention, she's never once had a sexual dream about another woman. She had never even considered women as a romantic interest.

She flops back down onto her bed, expelling a long, harsh sigh of agitation. She stares at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything when the sound of her phone ringing pulls her from her thoughts. It's five o'clock in the morning, she doesn't know why anyone would be calling her. Perhaps it is her mother, but then her mother has grown to grasp the concept of timezones in the months since she moved to Toronto, so unless it's an emergency, she is forced to think otherwise. She reaches for her phone and the display reads Leekie. She answers without a second thought.

"_Bonjour?" _she asks.

"Sorry to wake you," he replies.

She doesn't bother telling him that it's her subject that has been keeping her awake for the last several hours.

"It's fine. What's going on?"

"It's a long story. I'm going to need you to come in right away. It concerns Cosima."

As soon as Cosima's name is mentioned, Delphine hangs up the phone and races to the bathroom in a hurry to get herself ready.

* * *

"What's wrong" she asks, making no attempt to hide her concern as she barges into Leekie's office.

"Sit down," he tells her. "We have a bit of a situation on our hands."

She can tell by the look on his face that Leekie is clearly troubled. He's usually a fairly stoic man, not one to give away any signals of distress, so she knows that whatever is happening must be serious. She grabs a seat across from him and waits for Leekie to begin explaining.

"A few of our subjects have been... terminated."

"Terminated?" she repeats.

It's a cold word, a calculated word, a word she never wants to hear in conjunction with Cosima's name.

"What do you mean?"

He slides a folder across the desk and she grabs it, flipping it open to see a series of documents with pictures attached. One is the body of subject with dyed red hair, a bullet in the center of her forehead, slumped over in a pool of blood. Another is a subject with long, curly hair, shot execution style in the back of the head.

She begins to feel nauseous.

"Murdered," Leekie clarifies. "It appears someone is tracking down our subjects and killing them."

She begins to feel dizzy, her vision blurs. Leekie is still speaking, but she is unable to discern anything he is saying. All she can think of is Cosima, how she is in danger, how at any minute, the person responsible for murdering the subjects could put a bullet in Cosima's head, as well. Then there would be no more smiles, no more cheeky comments, no more throaty laughs or nautical tattoo or talks of warehouse raves.

"I need to warn Cosima!" she bursts, shooting up from the chair.

Her outburst startles Leekie and he gives her a stern look.

"You'll do no such thing."

"But she isn't safe, Aldous! None of them are!"

She doesn't understand why he isn't taking a more decisive course of action. Someone is murdering their subjects and he's sitting there as if a waitress had just brought him the wrong order; a minor inconvenience, a trivial setback that will soon be corrected.

"We have a DYAD team looking into things right now. They'll find whoever is responsible and deal with them accordingly. We can't risk spooking our subjects or alerting the authorities."

Delphine shakes her head, unable to grasp Leekie's approach. The voice in the back of her head is screaming for her to call Cosima, to warn her that danger is lurking around the corner, that she should run. Cosima is _her_ subject, it's _her_ duty to protect her, to act in her best interest.

"Doctor Cormier, you are not to say anything to 324B21," he says firmly, sensing her hesitation. "Is that understood?"

"But, Aldous-"

"Is that understood?" he repeats.

She's biting down hard on her lower lip, stifling the words that are threatening to fly out and most likely ruin her career. She wants to shout in frustration, to accuse him of not doing enough to protect their subjects. How did he let things get so bad? Allowing one subject to be murdered is bad enough, but there were four bodies accounted for so far and the possibility of more to follow.

"I... understand."

He dismisses her and she hurries out of his office, heading towards the elevator and back down a couple of floors to her own office. She hangs her coat and bag, then drops into the seat behind her desk, deflating. She had signed about a dozen different confidentiality agreements, so not only could she lose her job if she breached any of them, but she could also end up in a jail cell. She fidgets with her phone, flipping through her contacts, finally settling on Cosima's name. The clone's contact information is displayed on the screen and she pauses, staring at the screen for a long while.

_"Doctor Corimer, you are not to say anything to 324B21."_

Leekie's voice echoes in her mind as she considers her options; a ruined career and/or jail time is hardly desirable, but in comparison to Cosima dying, it's at least manageable. All she can think of is how Cosima deserves better.

Much better.

"Maybe...," she begins, thinking out loud.

Maybe there's another way to keep Cosima safe. Maybe she can protect her without ruining her own life. She isn't entirely sure how as of yet, but she's determined to find a solution. She sets her phone face down on her desk and vows to find a way.

* * *

It's mid-day and she finds herself outside in front of the DYAD facility. She shuffles through her bag, triumphantly retrieving the pack of cigarettes, removing one from the pack and placing it between her lips. She's been trying really hard to cut back and is doing fairly well; back in France, she smoked nearly a pack a day, but then that's just how things were back home. She decided that when she came to North America, should would drop the bad habit, but it was proving to be a little more difficult than she anticipated. Even still, she'd managed to make her current pack last her for more than a week, but with her new found stress, she's certain that that will quickly change.

She brings the lighter to the end of the cigarette, sparking it to life. She inhales deeply, allowing the smoke to fill the chamber of her lungs and linger for a few seconds before exhaling a blast of blue haze into the chilly air. She licks her lips and closes her eyes, then tilts her head up towards the sky.

She likes to consider herself a good person.

Sure, she may be involved in an illegal experiment, but the only reason she signed on in the first place was because she wanted to change the world; she wants to save lives, to make lives easier, to create a brighter future for everyone. She knows first hand how quickly sickness can tear through lives and change things forever, and she wants a world where such things never happen.

She likes to consider herself a good person.

Not perfect, but good. She's always done what she was supposed to, ever since she was a little girl. She always followed the path set out for her.

"Become a doctor," her parents had told her.

So she did.

"Join DYAD," Leekie had told her.

So she did.

And now she's being told to stand aside, but there's something inside of her that's preventing her from doing so. She takes another drag of her cigarette and her thoughts find their way back to Cosima, yet again. She has studied her entire file three times already, but she still feels as though there's much about Cosima that she doesn't know, that there's an entire side to her that no one has really been privy to, or certainly not Doctor Ramos, who had written the notes. His details of the clone are cold, detached, unmoved. It baffles her, how someone could know Cosima and not feel completely awash with life and fascination.

"Delphine!"

She turns in the direction that her name is being called and she swears that her mind is playing tricks on her, for those dreads are unmistakable, the swagger is incomparable, and that smile is distinct, even at a distance, as the clone approaches her in a slow jog.

"Cosima?" she asks, bewildered at the sight of the dreadlocked clone.

Her heart immediately sinks and a thousand thoughts race through her head. Something must have happened. Maybe whoever is killing their subjects is after Cosima. Maybe she's hurt or in danger and needs help. She races over towards the smaller girl, closing the distance between them. She grips Cosima's upper arms, holding her firmly.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asks frantically.

"Uh... everything's fine," Cosima replies, shooting the doctor a look of confusion.

Delphine releases a sigh of relief, removing her hands from the smaller girl's frame. Her heart finally finds its rhythm again and the sickness that was beginning to settle in her stomach subsides.

"Is something wrong over here?" the clone asks suspiciously.

Even if she wasn't as astute as she is, anyone with half a brain in their head and a pair of functioning eyes would be able to notice how worked up the blonde is. Cosima has never seen her like this before. Then again, Cosima had only seen her twice, but it was enough to know that something was off.

"No, no. Everything's fine," Delphine dismisses.

She flicks her cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with the toe of her boot.

"Just... why are you here?"

Cosima shrugs, then flashes the French woman a toothy grin.

"I dunno. I was taking a study break, figured I'd go for a walk. Found myself coming here, so I thought I'd see what you were up to."

"What I'm up to?" Delphine asks, taken aback.

It's a sweet gesture, but perhaps an inappropriate one in the doctor's mind, especially with all that's been happening; the dreams that have been plaguing her nights cause her to shift uncomfortably under the brunette's gaze. Not only that, but the knowledge that a serial killer may be after the clone, that she's forbidden to warn the woman standing in front of her of the imminent danger that's lurking, makes her feel dirty. She doesn't know how to respond, so she settles for creating distance.

"I'm working, Cosima."

Her voice is serious, a warning to the brunette that boundaries are being crossed. She doesn't mean to come off as harsh, but perhaps it's for the best, because she knows if she's subject to the brunette's gaze any longer, confessions will start slipping.

"Oookay," Cosima replies.

Delphine can tell that she's offended, but the American does a good job of swallowing her pride.

"I'll leave you to it, then."

She turns and starts walking away and Delphine chews on her bottom lip, suddenly feeling like the biggest asshole alive. She hadn't meant to hurt Cosima and just the thought that she did makes her reconsider her earlier tactic, realizing that she doesn't want Cosima far away, she wants her as close as possible; close, where she can keep her safe.

"Wait, Cosima!" she calls out.

Cosima stops, turning around to narrow her eyes in Delphine's direction. The doctor rushes over towards her once again and the brunette gives her a once over, clearly confused as to what's going on.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude," Delphine apologizes.

Cosima nods, indicating her acceptance of the blonde's apology. She knows that something is stirring inside of the doctor and she rakes her eyes over the taller woman to try and figure out what that something is.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks suspiciously. "You seem... I don't know... off."

Delphine nods rapidly, forcing her best smile.

"I'm just under a lot of stress right now," she tries to explain.

Cosima relaxes, her own smile shining through.

"Yeah, I feel you. I'm trudging through my dissertation. Totally sucks."

Delphine's smile becomes more genuine as she listens to the brunette explain her research, watching her wave her hands around enthusiastically. She can't remember ever meeting someone so passionate about their work or quite so full of life. It's a passion that mirrors her own, a passion that she's been searching for for a long time.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" the brunette exclaims, diverging from her train of thought. "I brought you something."

"Oh?"

Delphine watches Cosima closely as the shorter girl reaches into the white plastic bag that she's holding, pulling something out. Whatever it is, it's wrapped in foil and freezing cold as she places it in Delphine's hands.

"I kinda have a bit of a sweet tooth. Especially for these," she says.

Delphine reads the packaging, slightly confused.

"Eskimo..."

"Eskimo Pie. What, you've never had one?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Well, that one's yours," she says. "Trust me. This will help with the stress."

Delphine smiles, unwrapping the frozen treat. She's always had a weakness for ice cream, ever since she was a child. She remembers her father taking her to get a cone after church on Sundays when she was very young, and seeking solace in an entire pint of chocolate after breaking up with her first boyfriend. She remembers late nights cramming for exams in university, fueled only by nicotine and sugar. As she takes a bite, she allows herself to bask for a moment. She's never had an Eskimo Pie before; it's familiar and yet, somehow different, somehow new, but it still evokes the same sense of comfort, much like Cosima herself.

"What about you?" the blonde asks. "Are you going to have one?"

"Oh, I already ate two on the way over here."

"Really? Two?" she asks through a mouthful of coldness.

"I told you! I have a weak spot for sweets," Cosima says defensively. "You should feel privileged, though. I'm a great research opportunity. I'm probably the only subject destined to develop diabetes and I'm all yours."

Hers.

Cosima had said she was _hers_ and Delphine nearly choked on the creamy delight as the words left the brunette's mouth. As she wonders what the clone meant, Cosima's eyes settle on the French woman's mouth, watching as she slowly nibbles and licks the quickly melting ice cream. Perhaps an Eskimo Pie wasn't the greatest choice in treats to share, as Delphine's busy mouth leaves little to the American's imagination.

"You're so small. Who knew you could eat so much," Delphine muses, finishing the bar.

Cosima smirks.

"Yeah, well, I have a pretty big appetite," she says suggestively.

Her thoughts flash back to her dreams, the ones that always begin and end with Cosima's mouth, the ones so vivid that even though Delphine has no concrete basis for her theory, she knows the brunette is a virtuoso with those lips, a modern day Mozart with that tongue. She licks at the stick, making sure to remove any remnants of ice cream all while maintaining eye contact with the brunette who's uncharacteristically still, eyes fixed.

"I bet you do," Delphine utters, eyes dark and voice thick.

Cosima nearly trips over her own feet, despite standing perfectly still. The girl's a natural flirt, usually as smooth as marble, but she hadn't expected the blonde (_her fucking doctor_) to reciprocate and Delphine's reaction left her a little stumped, a little flushed and flustered. Delphine can tell that Cosima is tongue tied. She smirks, feeling a pang of victory, like she's won a round of a game she wasn't even aware she was playing. She knows Cosima herself isn't to blame for her torturous dreams, but she can't help but delight in teasing her, nonetheless.

"I-I-I should get back to my dissertation," Cosima bumbles.

"And I should head back inside," Delphine adds.

Still, neither move.

"Thank you for the... de-stressor," she says with a smile. "This has been the highlight of my day. You have no idea."

Cosima nods.

"Yeah, sure. Anytime."

Statues.

"We should talk like this again. I enjoy it. I don't really know anyone here very well, so it's nice to make a friend in the brave new world."

"Totally. Hey, man, anytime you need to de-stress, I'm your girl."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Cosima opens her mouth in an attempt to retort, but quickly realizes that she has nothing to say that wouldn't make her sound like a teenage dork, so she closes it again and then quickly walks away. Delphine giggles to herself, slipping the stick of the Eskimo Pie into her purse; a memento.

She decides that she's found a solution to her problem. While she can't warn Cosima, she can still keep her close. Despite the flustering dreams, she enjoys the clone's company and she doesn't trust Leekie or anyone else to keep her safe. Her mother had always told her that if she wanted to make sure something was done right, done well, then she had to do it herself. That's exactly what she will do; protect Cosima herself. She realizes that she doesn't need Leekie or DYAD to do that, because as long as they're close, things will work themselves out.

Perhaps it's a naive line of thinking, but her gut tells her that it's true.


	5. V

**Author's Note:** Double update! Done school forever, I'm all moved in and a day off from work = a long day of productivity. I managed to finish the next few chapters in this series, so I figured I'd reward you guys with a second update in twenty-four hours to show my gratitude. I'm still working on the next chapter of Shelter, for those of you who follow that story; I expect it to be up by the end of the week (it's quite a long chapter and I had most of it finished, only to have my file crash, so now I'm rewriting it the best I can). Things are slowly heating up for our favourite scientists. Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Shit."

She brings her hands to her face to shield her eyes from the sun's blinding rays as she steps outside, returning to the world of the living. Being cooped up in a lab for hours on end sometimes makes her forget that such things as sunlight even exist, but with the first draft of her dissertation due shortly, she needs to buckle down and put in as many hours as humanly possible. The dreadlocked girl is finding it even harder to focus as of late, all thanks to a certain doctor who has appeared in her life to make everything far more complicated than her strange existence already is.

She makes her way through the quad, deciding that what she needs now is a joint and food, in that exact order. She can tell from the sun's position in the sky that she has less than an hour of daylight left, less than an hour of its warmth before the temperature drops. The brilliant hues of autumn's reds and oranges and yellows are pleasing to the eye, but it also means that winter is on its way and Canadian winters are often a miserable affair that make her miss San Francisco far more than she already does.

"Cosima!"

She freezes, a burst of panic shooting through her before it is finally replaced with a beaming smile. There's only one person who says her name like that, who makes it sound like an experience rather than a title. The blonde is sitting on a bench, a cigarette dangling from between her lips and a lazy smile on her face.

"Delphine? W-What are you doing here?" she asks, approaching the taller woman.

She stops directly in front of Delphine, staring down at her.

"I took a break from work and went for a walk. I found myself coming here," she answers with a crooked smirk.

Cosima realizes that Delphine has her school schedule, that she must have known that Cosima would be in the lab, that she was waiting for her. Her eyes drift to the doctor's feet and she notices a collection of fresh cigarette butts that prove her theory. Delphine's eyes follow Cosima's and both women chuckle when they realize that the doctor's been made.

"Waiting long?" Cosima teases.

Delphine shrugs, then pats the empty spot on the bench next to her. Of course, Cosima doesn't know that there's a psychopath on the loose with a taste for clone blood, so she's spent the better part of the afternoon in the brunette's territory, carefully observing for abnormalities from a distance.

Cosima takes a seat, her eyes fixated on the blonde as she finishes her cigarette and flicks it to the ground. She's still giddy about the fact that Delphine has been waiting around for her, like a puppy waiting for its master to return, loyal and unwavering in conviction. The blonde lifts a small bag towards Cosima and the brunette's eyes leave her face and settle on it.

"What's this?" Cosima asks.

"You said you had a sweet tooth," Delphine explains. "I wanted to thank you for the other day, so I brought you these. They're truffles."

Cosima's face lights up like a child presented with an early birthday gift. Delphine chews on her bottom lip to try and suppress her own glee as she watches Cosima carefully examine the package of sweets. She's about to open them, only she stops herself, as if remembering some sort of crucial piece of information. Before the French woman can inquire about her hesitation, the clone speaks.

"Are you busy?"

Delphine shakes her head.

"_Non_."

Cosima's smile grows even wider.

"Wanna take a trip with me?" she asks.

"A trip?"

"I promise it'll be worth it. It's not far, either. I wanna show you something."

Delphine cocks her head, intrigued by the clone's proposition. She nods in approval and Cosima jumps to her feet with a burst of enthusiasm. She reaches forward, extending a hand towards the doctor. Delphine smiles and accepts it, allowing the American to pull her to her feet.

"Let's go."

* * *

They enter a large building, Cosima dragging the taller woman by her hand as she leads them into the elevator, pressing the button for the sixteenth floor. Cosima hasn't told her exactly where they're going or what they're doing, but she knows that they're still on campus, that this is a university building. As they stand side-by-side, hand-in-hand in the elevator, waiting, Delphine tilts her head so that she can see Cosima's face. The clone is staring back at her with a wide smile.

"I promise you, this is cool."

The doors finally chime open and they're met by a man, presumably a student, with glasses and a dopey smile.

"Hey, Craig!" Cosima greets him.

"Heya, Cosima! I got your text."

Cosima motions towards Delphine.

"This is Delphine."

Delphine steps forward, introducing herself with a smile. As she wonders what Cosima has in store for her, Craig leads them down a hallway until they reach a set of doors. He pushes them open and they're on the roof of the building. Delphine notices a large telescope.

"It's a clear night, not too windy," Cosima explains. "Perfect for stargazing."

"Exactly," Craig nods. "There aren't any other tours booked for this evening, and since you know your way around well enough, I take it you don't need me?"

"We'll be fine," Cosima answers.

"Alrighty. I'll be on the next floor down. Just come and get me when you're done. Feel free to take as long as you want," Craig says.

He says his goodbyes and then he's gone just as quickly as he appeared, leaving the two women alone on the roof. Cosima runs over to the telescope, repositioning it to find an optimal vantage point. Delphine follows closely behind, folding her arms over her chest and watching as the eager brunette gazes through the lens.

"When I was younger, I used to go to the SFSU observatory all the time and watch the stars," she muses. "It was usually pretty empty. I guess people aren't big on the star gazing anymore. All of my friends wanted to go to the movies or the mall or some lame house party that always got broken up by the cops after a couple of hours."

"You're so cultured," Delphine teases.

"Hey. I try," she giggles.

She backs away, allowing Delphine to step forward and gaze through the telescope herself. Cosima is right; it's a great night for stargazing. It's still fairly early in the evening, but she can already spy clusters of stars, even through the smog of Toronto pollution.

"I haven't seen stars like this in years," she says. "It's much easier to see them from the countryside in France. There's less smog."

"Hm."

She turns back around to face Cosima and her eyes go wide when she realizes what the girl is doing. She is sitting on the ground cross-legged, her bag open and its contents strewn about. She can see the brown paper bag of truffles, still unopened, but its the joint the clone is attempting to role that has her attention.

"Cosima! What are you doing?" she whispers harshly, scurrying over.

"Rolling a joint. What does it look like I'm doing?" she asks nonchalantly.

"You can't do that here!"

"Why not?"

"Well... because..."

To be honest, she can't think of a good reason, aside from the fact that smoking marijuana is illegal, but she knows that the brunette could care less about its legality.

"What if your friend comes back up?"

"Craig?" she asks.

Delphine nods and Cosima chuckles loudly as she finishes sprinkling the ground up bud into the thin strip of paper.

"Where do you think I get my stuff from?"

"Wait... what?"

"Craig smokes more pot than I do. That's how I met him. He's a grad student in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department. I come here to pick up off him and if the weather's decent, we toke up and watch the stars."

Delphine's mouth is hanging slightly open, shocked. Cosima licks the edge of the zigzag and finishes rolling. She holds up the finished product triumphantly and finds her way back onto her feet, shoving the contents of her purse back into her bag.

"You little brat," Delphine chides.

Cosima simply smirks, placing the tightly rolled joint between her lips. She brings the lighter to it and watches as the flame dances, lighting it to life. She takes a heavy drag and holds it in her lungs for as long as she can before she can feel the cough coming on, then releases the smoke.

"You want some?" she asks, holding the joint towards Delphine. "This stuff is pretty good."

"Oh, no, no, no! Absolutely not! It's illegal!" Delphine replies.

Cosima takes another hit, trying to contain her laughter.

"Don't be such a square, Doctor Cormier. Just take one hit."

Delphine expels a defeated sigh, but she can see a twinkle in the clone's eye, so she re-inflates herself and plucks the joint from Cosima's fingers. She holds it up and stares at it questioningly.

"Don't take too big of a hit," Cosima warns. "Especially if you've never smoked before. Just take a tiny drag and hold it in your lungs until you start to feel the cough coming."

Delphine nods, bringing it to her lips and inhaling deeply.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I said no big hits!" Cosima exclaims, waving her hands around.

But it's too late now. Delphine follows the latter part of Cosima's advice and holds the smoke in her lungs for a long while. Being a regular smoker, her lungs are used to the pollution, although this smoke is different in nature. Cosima watches, impressed, and Delphine's lungs eventually give out, causing her to expel the smoke in a hacking fit.

"Shit, man," Cosima mumbles.

Delphine tries to regain her breath, holding the joint out for Cosima to reclaim. The brunette snatches it from her hands and finds herself trapped in her own fit, only this one consists of laughter.

"You're gonna be so ripped," she says, struggling through the laughter.

Delphine shrugs, then meanders back over to the telescope to gaze into the sky, once again. Cosima takes one more heavy toke before she puts the joint out, placing it on the railing to save the rest for later. She slowly makes her way over to Delphine, stopping behind her, watching the blonde with great fascination as she stares intently through the lens. She can already feel the pot beginning to take effect, sending a tingle through her entire body, haziness behind her skull.

"Do you ever think that, while we're looking up to the stars, they're looking back down at us?" Delphine asks.

"What?"

"You know. What if there are two other creatures somewhere out there, gazing through telescopes at this exact moment. Do you think they can see us, Cosima?"

Cosima bursts into another laughing fit.

"You're baked, man."

"_Pardon_?" Delphine asks.

She turns towards Cosima and feels her legs turn into gelatin. She wobbles back and forth like a baby doe learning to walk for the first time, panic creeping onto her features. Cosima manages to break through her laughter.

"Easy," she soothes. "Take it easy. Here, come sit."

Delphine nods, reaching for Cosima, clinging to her for stability. She wraps her arms around Cosima's neck and buries her face into the side of the clone's head. It's awkward, since the doctor has quite a few inches on the brunette, and she wraps her arms around Delphine's waist, backing them up close to the wall. She lowers Delphine to the ground.

"You okay?"

Delphine blinks rapidly, trying to process all the information her brain is taking in with great difficulty. She nods despite this and Cosima sits down in front of her.

"I told you not to take a big hit."

"Cheeky brat," is all Delphine can muster.

Cosima knows it's supposed to be an insult, but coming from Delphine, it's far too cute to cause offense. She simply giggles, reaching for the bag of truffles and holding them up for Delphine to see. The French woman's eyes light up.

"Help me eat these?" Cosima asks.

"Like you need help, Ms. "I have a big appetite,"" she teases.

"No, I don't need your help. But I'm feeling generous today," she smiles.

She opens the bag, removing a small box from inside. She has a little difficulty untying the ribbon that is sealing it shut in her inebriated state, but she eventually manages to open the box, revealing a series of beautifully decorated truffles.

She picks one up, holding it towards Delphine. Delphine smiles, opening her mouth, waiting for Cosima to bring it to her lips. The clone swallows hard, then pops it into the doctor's mouth and watches as she takes great delight in chewing the chocolatey treat. She tries to mumble something through a mouthful of chocolate, what Cosima can only assume is "delicious," and the dreadlocked girl starts laughing again.

"You're ridiculous."

"I am not!" Delphine says defensively.

"Yes you are. Just look at yourself."

Delphine pouts, then sinks lower until she lay flat against the cold concrete. Cosima watches her with a sparkle in her eyes, shoving two truffles into her own mouth before sliding down to lay next to Delphine.

"_You're_ ridiculous," Delphine retorts.

"Of course. But we both already know that."

It's Delphine's turn for laughter now. She's rolling on her back, her hair a wild mess in her face. When she finally catches her breath, she pushes a few strands out of her eyes and rolls over onto her side so she's facing Cosima.

"You're so clever. I love how clever you are."

Cosima is reclining on her back, her eyes closed and hands resting behind her head as if she were on a beach tanning somewhere. When she hears Delphine's compliment, she opens her eyes and tilts her head so that she can see Delphine. The blonde shifts a little closer.

"Is that right?" Cosima asks.

"Mmhmm."

She's huddled up next to Cosima now, so close that the clone can feel the body heat radiating off of her. Delphine's hand wanders up, caressing Cosima's face and her entire body tenses up. Delphine runs a finger over Cosima's cheek bone, then traces the bridge of her nose, then brings it down to trace Cosima's lips.

"You're so _soft_," she whispers. "Why are you so soft?"

"M-Maybe it's the pot?" Cosima asks, rolling onto her side so that she is now facing Delphine completely.

Delphine shakes her head, reclaiming her fingers.

"No. It's not."

She bites her lower lip and scoots even closer. Their bodies are flush against each other and she leans her head forward so that her forehead is pressed firmly against Cosima's. Cosima licks her lips, staring at the doctor's, her heart slamming against her ribcage in a punishing manner. She brings her eyes back up to Delphine's and notices that the blonde has been staring at her lips, as well.

"Delphine," she whispers, her voice dipping lower than she thought possible.

The doctor leans even closer and their noses brush together. Both pairs of eyes flutter shut and Delphine nuzzles the smaller girl gently, eliciting a quiet moan from the depths of her throat.

"_C'est tu_," she mumbles, her breath a hot puff of static air on the brunette's lips.

She's close enough to swallow those words and yet she doesn't, maintaining the frustrating proximity brought forth by the blonde. They lay like that for a few minutes until they both open their eyes again, gazing into each other. The blonde's look shifts from one of veneration to one of terror when she finally becomes conscious of what is happening. She sits up abruptly, running a hand through her hair. Cosima pulls herself up into a sitting position, as well.

"Something wrong?" she asks gently.

"I'm sorry," Delphine apologizes. "I shouldn't..."

"It's okay. Really."

She looks over to Cosima who's staring at her adoringly and she smiles. She lay back down again, pulling Cosima with her, the clone quickly complying. She tucks her head beneath Cosima's chin and wraps an arm around her torso, like a child holding their favourite teddy close. Cosima isn't used to this sort of proximity with anyone, let alone the doctor she's irrevocably smitten with; she usually doesn't allow this sort of closeness, but as she breathes in Delphine's sweet scent, she wonders what the harm could really be, allowing herself to lay like this.

"This is nice," Delphine sighs.

"Yeah."

It is.


	6. VI

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the wait! I try to update at least once a week and I've had this chapter done for a while, but life sort of got in the way and I couldn't find the time to post it. But here it is now! Please don't hate me. I promise you, things are starting to come together. So enjoy, and let me know what you think :)

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait. He _actually_ said that?"

All eyes are on Beth as the as the detective chuckles nervously, trying to dismiss Cosima's question. She takes a sip of her beer, but none of her companions are fooled. The dreadlocked clone stares at her incredulously while Sarah and Felix roll their eyes, unimpressed by Beth's latest tale of her poor excuse for a boyfriend.

"What's the deal with him, anyway?" Felix asks.

"Yeah. Why are you still with him?" Cosima adds.

Beth sighs, placing her pint on the table. She searches her mind for the answer, but she can't come to a satisfying conclusion. Based on what she has disclosed to the rest of the clone club, none of them can understand why Beth loves the man, why she fights so hard to defend their relationship.

"I don't know," she confesses. "Paul's a good guy, he really is. He's just... he's an emotionally distant person, okay?"

Sarah scoffs.

"No, _I'm_ an emotionally distant person. He's just a knob."

They all laugh at Sarah's observation. It's been a long while since any of them have actually seen Beth. The detective is completely devoted to her job, which doesn't leave a lot of time for a social life, especially one that consists of a con artist, a hustler and a geeky PhD student. Of all of them, the one she keeps in contact with the most is Alison, although the soccer mom isn't present at their rendezvous.

"It's too bad Alison couldn't make it," Beth muses.

"Yeah, I bet book club this week is just riveting. You know how those creepy suburban moms get about their little get togethers," Sarah shrugs.

"Hey, hey. Give Alison a little more credit than that," the detective laughs.

They continue on like that for a while, the four of them catching up on each other's lives, filling in the gaps with alcohol and laughter. Cosima's always a little blown away by how normal things almost seem whenever she gets together with her sisters; aside from a few bewildered stares (which they easily diffuse by claiming to be twins/triplets/quadruplets/whatever variation of offspring is necessary) and aside from all of them leading completely different lives, they manage to find a rhythm, a common ground where they can all exist together. It's comforting for the spectacled clone, who was raised an only child and often isolated in adolescence due to her superior intelligence and eccentric personality. It allows her to feel some semblance of solidarity. Perhaps that's why she sought them out in her adult life and makes an effort to maintain her relationships with them.

The familiar sound of Cosima's ringtone pulls her from the conversation and she shuffles through her bag, searching for her phone. She eventually finds it and a coy grin spreads across her features when she recognizes Delphine's name on the screen. She knows it's probably rude to dismiss her friends, but she presses the talk button and brings the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Delphine!" she greets.

"_Bonsoir_, Cosima!" Delphine replies, matching her enthusiasm.

"Can you just give me a sec?" Cosima asks.

"Of course."

She puts her hand over the receiver to muffle the noise of the bar and then looks over to her comrades, all of whom are wearing all-knowing smirks.

"Delphine, eh?" Sarah pries.

"Is that the French doctor that you guys told me about?" Beth inquires.

"Oh yeah," Felix replies. "Cosima's got real lady wood for her. Not that I can blame her. The woman could make van Gogh weep. Do you think she would pose for me, Cos?"

"Oh, please. You're gay as a window," Sarah rolls her eyes.

"I didn't say I wanted to shag her now, did I?" Felix retorts. "Although, if I did have to shag a woman, I think she'd be a frontrunner. But, you know, Cosima is my mate, so I can't as well steal her woman away. I'm a good friend. I wouldn't do that."

"Really?" Sarah asks sarcastically. "What about when I was messing around with Jaime? You shagged him."

"Only cause you were shagging Drew at the same time! If I knew you actually had any interest in Jaime aside from his ripply muscles and big cock, I wouldn't have got involved."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"Okay. Well, while you guys bicker over who's the bigger whore, I'm gonna take this phone call," Cosima interjects, breaking up the sibling squabble.

She pushes her chair out from the table and excuses herself, scurrying out of the bar and onto the street, leaving Beth to tend to the bickering children. Once she's away from the noise, she brings the phone to her ear.

"Sorry about that. What's up?"

"I wanted to see if you had plans for the night."

Cosima's smile returns to her face.

"I had fun last week. I thought that maybe we could do something like that again? Maybe go somewhere?" Delphine asks.

Cosima's mind flashes back to the week prior, when they'd smoked a joint on that rooftop. They'd come dangerously close to kissing; perhaps it was just the weed, but then Cosima distinctly remembers feeling almost painfully sober the second Delphine's fingers grazed her face, the feel of Delphine's hot breath on her lips, and she knows that it wasn't the drugs that had inspired such closeness. If she had been a little bolder, she would have smothered the distance between them completely with her lips, but Delphine's hesitation had stopped her. Instead, they finished smoking the rest of her joint and lay intertwined until it grew to be quite late in the evening and they both retreated to their individual lives.

"I'm kinda at a bar with some friends right now. Remember Sarah and Felix from Nuit Blanche? I'm with them, and another subject named Beth," Cosima explains.

"Oh, I see. Well, perhaps another time then."

"Hey, wait! Hang on!" Cosima blurts. "Why don't you stop by?"

"To drink with you and your friends?" Delphine asks skeptically.

"Yeah, why not? I know they're kinda a lot to handle, but it'll be fun. I... I want to see you, too."

There's a brief moment of silence on the other end as Delphine considers Cosima's offer; there are going to be three subjects in one place, which would be a far too easy target for a serial killer. It makes her nervous, but she can't tell Cosima, nor does she want to spoil the cheeky girl's fun. She needs to protect not only Cosima, but the others, as well.

"Okay. I'll come."

Cosima's face lights up like a supernova.

"Cool! Great! I'll text you the address of the bar," Cosima replies.

"_D'accord_. I'll see you soon, then."

"Alright. Bye."

She ends the call, nearly bursting at the seams. A couple walking by shoot her a look of bemusement as she breaks into a tiny, spastic dance of pure joy and energy. She hasn't stopped thinking about Delphine since they parted ways on that roof and she has spent the better part of the week trying to think of an excuse to call the blonde. She even considered faking sick once or twice so she'd have an excuse to meet with her doctor. Was it unprofessional? Absolutely. But it was Delphine who was initiating contact now, not Cosima.

* * *

Cosima's eyes are focused on the door, where they've been for the last hour. Beth is talking about a particularly bizarre case she's been working on, but the scientist can't bring herself to pay attention when she knows there's the promise of Delphine in the near future. She absently sips on her wine, nodding along with Beth's story every minute or so to maintain the illusion of interest.

Finally, the door opens and she spies the blonde, immediately sitting up straight in her seat. Delphine is wearing a metallic black cocktail dress that stops at the mid-thigh; perhaps a little too overdressed for the establishment, but Cosima can't bring herself to care, her eyes dipping lower to take in the doctor's impossibly long legs. She doesn't mean to leer, but she feels as though she's seeing Cinderella at the ball, out of her lab coat or heavy wool jacket. Delphine's is beauty that reminds her of classic Hollywood, a grace that's reserved mostly for dancers and performers. It seems sinful for someone so beautiful to be a doctor; her face should be in a magazine or on a movie screen, not hiding in a lab running tests. But then, that's what Cosima likes best about her. Delphine is beautiful, the embodiment of Greek idolatry, and yet her beauty is far from her most defining feature.

Delphine spots the gaping clone from across the bar and flashes her a wide smile, waving. She makes her way through the establishment until she finally reaches the rest of them.

"H-Hey, Delphine!" Cosima stutters, standing up from her seat.

"_Bonsoir_, Cosima. _Bonsoir_, everyone."

Felix offers the French woman a sly smirk accompanied by a nod, his eyes drifting back and forth between her and Cosima as he desperately tries to keep his cheeky comments to himself. Beth's smile is far more genuine and Sarah flicks her hand in a waving gesture, her own smirk mirroring her brother's. Cosima had informed them that Delphine would be joining them and begged them all to behave themselves, but watching the spectacled clone leer at the blonde was proving to be tempting ammunition for the disastrous duo.

"Um, let me just find you a seat," Cosima says, her eyes scanning the room for an extra chair.

Sarah is way ahead of her, gliding over to the table across from them and grabbing an unoccupied chair. The two men sitting at the table glare at her and the punk mutters some manner of insult before dragging the seat back over to their own table, sliding it in next to Cosima's.

"There you go. Right next to Cos," Sarah says.

Delphine smiles and softly utters her thanks, taking her seat next to Cosima. The two women are so close together that their arms are touching, raising tiny goosebumps of flesh on both of their arms. In an attempt to distract from the feeling of skin on skin, Cosima tries to fill Delphine in on the conversation that was taking place before she arrived.

"Beth was just telling us about one of her cases," Cosima explains. "She's a detective."

"Really?" Delphine asks, her voice full of wonder. "Fascinating."

"Believe me, it's not always that fascinating," Beth laughs. "Most of the time it's just wading through a lot of crap and dead ends. I feel like people who watch a lot of TV or movies seem to think it's all about shootouts and catching serial killers, but it's rarely that exciting."

"But you like it?" Delphine inquires.

Beth nods, taking a sip of her beer.

"I love it. I'm good at it. It's the one thing I know I'm good at."

Their server comes by, a young man with a scruffy beard and too many tattoos to count. They all order another round of drinks, Delphine indulging in her first, and then it's Cosima's turn to talk. Beth asks her about school and Delphine turns her head, watching keenly as the dreadlocked clone does her best to explain her dissertation to non-science professionals. Delphine smiles and toys with her golden locks as Cosima speaks, finding it endearing how Cosima tries so hard to break down the complicated concepts so that everyone can understand. She's patient and understanding, especially with Sarah and Felix, and she is just as eager to teach others as she is to learn from them.

"It's strange," Delphine interrupts.

Everyone turns to face the doctor, waiting for clarification.

"You're all... well, you're so different. Cosima is a scientist, Beth is a detective, Sarah is... um... what do you do, Sarah?"

"Oh, she's a freeloader," Felix says without skipping a beat.

"Oi! I pay my dues!"

"You mean you steal your dues," Cosima laughs.

Beth puts her hands over her ears, feigning ignorance.

"The cop hears nothing," she dismisses.

They all laugh, because it really is a strange world they all inhabit. Despite sharing the same DNA, they have very little else in common. Even their laughter is different (Cosima's is the sweetest, in Delphine's mind). One devotes her life to fighting crime while another lives a life defined by it. One is audacious and playful, the other straight and serious. She doesn't know if the original intent of the project was to observe these differences, to finally offer discernible evidence in the nature versus nurture debate, but the scientist inside of her is bursting with awe and excitement.

When the joking subsides, they all focus their attention on Delphine.

"How about you, Doc?" Sarah asks. "How did you get wrapped up in all of this?"

"Well, I always wanted to be a scientist, ever since I was a little girl."

"Ah, a girl with ambition," Felix says. "My sister could learn something from you."

Sarah swats him on the arm and he giggles, rubbing the spot that will surely bruise. Beth shoots them both a look of warning, but Cosima's eyes are fixed on Delphine; during their rooftop escapade, they'd discussed their fascination with science, but she had never thought to ask Delphine what had spurred her towards it in the first place.

"I thought most little girls wanna be ballerinas or princesses," Felix mumbled. "Why doctor?"

"Yeah, and why clones? You gotta admit, it's a little fucked up, yeah?" Sarah adds.

Delphine suddenly becomes much more serious, her hands fidgeting under the table. The others can't see from their position, but Cosima is very much aware. She reaches over, discreetly placing a hand over Delphine's to steady her jittering hands. The blonde smiles at the gesture, finding her voice once again.

"I lost someone when I was young," she says. "And I guess I just never wanted anyone to have to experience that. It's completely foolish, I know. Loss and sickness and death is just another part of life."

"Shit. Yeah," Sarah mumbles.

They all nod and agree, except for Cosima. Her eyes are still fixated on the blonde.

"When Doctor Leekie invited me to work at DYAD, when he invited me onto the project, I saw it as an opportunity. I thought that it could change the world. I know a lot of people question the morals of genetic engineering and I understand why, but if we can eliminate sickness and disease, if we can make lives better, then isn't it worth it?"

Upon Delphine's confession, Cosima feels something shift within her, like a lock clicking, a door she never knew existed opening. It's a deep, pulsating feeling that starts in her chest and reaches the rest of her body, filling her with warmth and radiance. It's a feeling that's completely foreign to her and it's at that moment when she realizes that she's far more than just smitten with her doctor.

After a couple more rounds of drinks and conversation, Beth is the first to part ways, citing an early court appearance in the morning as her reason. She says her goodbyes, promises to keep in touch, and then quietly slips away from the four.

"That job is gonna be the death of her, yeah?" Sarah mumbles.

""Find what you love and let it kill you." I think Bukowski had the right idea," Cosima replies.

"Exactly! Live fast, die young," Felix adds.

"Well, I didn't exactly say that..."

Delphine giggles, observing the dynamic that exists between the three with a level of fascination that's usually reserved only for her work. Seeing Cosima interact with them gives the dreadlocked clone an entirely new layer of depth that the doctor was previously unaware of. She remembers Leekie's warning not to become too attached or involved, but spending the last couple of hours observing Cosima in her "natural habitat," so to speak, was far more informative than any test she could possibly run.

"I'm probably gonna head out, too," Cosima says. "I've got a meeting with my advisor tomorrow."

She looks over to the blonde. Delphine nods, reaching behind her to grab her coat. The two women stand, slipping their coats on and buttoning them up.

"Lame," Sarah complains.

"Yeah, well, some of us actually have commitments. You know, like jobs or school?" Cosima replies.

"Oi! I could have a job if I wanted. I've just found a way around the system. I'm not gonna spend my days being a slave to the machine if I can scam it instead," she shrugs.

"Keep telling yourself that," Felix says.

The doctor and the subject leave the siblings to bicker amongst themselves as they head for the door. Cosima holds it open for the blonde, allowing Delphine to squeeze on by her. Once they're outside, the brunette rubs her hands together to generate warmth and Delphine's eyes are scanning the road.

"I will get us a taxi," Delphine proclaims.

She starts for the curb in an attempt to hail a nearby cab, but Cosima catches her arm, stopping her before she can get that far. She flashes the clone a puzzled look and Cosima smiles.

"Nah, it's fine. I don't live too far from here, I'm just gonna hoof it," she explains.

Delphine nods.

"Okay then. Let me walk you home."

Cosima's grin spreads even wider.

"You don't have to do that. I'm seriously just, like, ten minutes from here. It's not a big deal."

"I know I don't have to," Delphine replies, inching a little closer. "But I want to."

The doctor's eyes find Cosima's and they remain locked in stare for a moment, each searching the other, watching carefully for any signs of falter. The American wonders if she's reading the signals right, but when Delphine's own smile makes its home on her face, she dismisses any doubts she may have previously had.

"Okay," she agrees.

They start on their way towards Cosima's apartment, the blonde linking her arm through the brunette's, just as she had during Nuit Blanche. Only this time, there aren't crowds of people and the threat of separation to use as an excuse. Cosima looks over to her and Delphine simply offers her another smile.

"Your friends are very... interesting," she says, searching for the right word.

"Yeah, I know. They're a little much sometimes, but they're pretty rad people."

"Rad... radical, right?"

"Yeah, totally," she beams. "Looks like you're finally getting the hang of the American vernacular."

"_Non_. I'm getting the hang of _your_ vernacular," Delphine corrects her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cosima giggles.

"Cosima, you speak in a language that is entirely your own."

"That's not true! Come visit the Bay Area sometime. You'll see," the clone defends.

"That's not what I meant."

Delphine's tone is more serious. When Cosima looks over to search her features, the blonde is gazing back at her with a look that the American is unable to decode, a coy smile splayed across her visage.

"Yeah, well, you seem to understand me just fine," she mumbles, staring up at the sky.

"_Oui_, _c'est vrai_."

Delphine is, perhaps, the only one who seems to understand her. She contemplates this as they continue on their way, crossing the occasional street, turning the occasional corner until they finally reach Cosima's apartment complex. She expects Delphine to say her goodbye and for the two of them to part ways when they reach the front of the building, but the blonde offers to accompany her upstairs. The clone panics internally for a moment, knowing full well what such an offer entails, but she swallows her awkwardness and leads Delphine inside, taking measured steps through the lobby and into the elevator.

As the two ride slowly towards their destination, the air in the tiny compartment grows static and Cosima feels Delphine's knuckles brush against her own; the two are standing side-by-side in the tiny elevator, which is hardly big enough for more than three people to fit comfortably. It's an older building, one that's been redone in the previous years before Cosima moved in, but it still maintains some of its older charm, including the tiny, old fashioned elevator. The blonde can't help but feel that the building suits her subject nicely; a blending of the old and the new.

When the creaky lift stops, the two exit and Cosima leads them down a narrow hallway, stopping in front of a door that Delphine can only assume is her apartment.

"This is me," Cosima says, motioning towards the door with her head. "So... goodnight, I guess."

Delphine smiles and nods.

"_Adieu_," she replies.

Cosima smiles nervously, then turns her back on Delphine for a moment, sliding her key in the lock. She pauses when she realizes that the French woman has made no attempt to leave. Cosima turns around again to face her and there's a look on Delphine's face, one that is unrecognizable to the brunette; she can tell that the blonde has something to say, for her mouth is parted slightly, as if the words are dancing on the tip of her tongue but refusing to manifest themselves. Cosima cocks her head, trying to decipher the enigma before her, but while she waits for Delphine to speak, the doctor seems to lose her nerve and her mouth closes again.

Cosima inhales a shaky breath, licking her lips.

"**_If she won't_**...," the clone thinks, taking a step closer and closing the distance between them.

Her eyes meet Delphine's, searching and feeling. She tests the waters, for they are standing so close that their bodies are nearly pressed together and she pauses, her eyes keenly observing for any signs of hesitation. She is half-expecting Delphine to push her away or slip out of her proximity, but she does neither. She meets her eyes once again, taking note of the blonde's irises that seem to be growing darker by the second, much like her own. For a moment, her heart stops beating, her mind goes blank. She is all instinct.

Cosima leans forward, her eyes sliding shut and lips pressing against the blonde's in a tender kiss.

Delphine's eyes go wide with surprise. She shouldn't be, because she'd read the look in Cosima's eyes and recognized her own desire being reflected back at her, but she still somehow doesn't expect the clone's advances. It seemed as though they had been dancing around this for so long that she actually convinced herself that that's all it was; a dance, a harmless flirtation that was doomed to remain just that, as she was the doctor and Cosima, the subject. She finds herself raking through her mind for the appropriate response, but her body acts on its own accord. Her eyes flutter and then close, her lips parting to finally greet Cosima's, succumbing to her warmth and inviting it inside of her. Cosima's arms slide around her neck, pulling the doctor down and closer to her body, allowing her to deepen the kiss. Delphine's hands remain at her side, uncertain of how to proceed. Her mind is screaming for her to break away and hit the ground running, reminding her that she's more than just crossing the line, she's obliterating it completely. Even still, her hands go to Cosima's waist and she feels the brunette's tongue teasing at her lips, begging for entry. Her lips involuntarily oblige.

As their lip lock slowly becomes more heated, Delphine finds herself being backed against the door and the panic returns. When she feels Cosima slowly slip her knee between her legs, thigh pressing against her center, she moans into the shorter girl's mouth before her hands shoot to Cosima's deltoids, gripping her firmly before pushing her away, holding her at arm's length. The action startles the brunette, who quickly snaps out of her haze to shoot the French woman a questioning glance.

"Delphine?" she asks.

"I-I-I have to go."

The blonde slips out of the clone's reach, maneuvering her way past Cosima. The brunette turns around to catch Delphine's hand while she attempts to put as much distance as possible between the two.

"Delphine, wait-"

Delphine quickly recoils at Cosima's scalding touch, as if it had burned her. In a way, it had, but it was nothing compared to the imprint her lips had left upon her own. She could still feel the heat, still taste the fire as she licked them.

"I'm sorry. I just can't..."

She shakes her head, unsure of how to even finish her sentence. She doesn't know what to say, unable to form even the simplest of thoughts, so instead she just scurries away, leaving the brunette standing in a confused and somewhat frenzied state. Cosima watches Delphine push open a pair of heavy steel doors and disappear down the staircase, not even bothering to wait for the elevator, not bold enough to risk another second under the clone's heated gaze. As soon as she's completely out of sight, Cosima exhales a long, exasperated sigh.

"What the hell did I just do?" she asks herself.

Delphine's abrupt departure made her second guess her actions, but she could swear that before the blonde had pushed her away, she could feel her desire, plain as day; after the initial shock of the kiss, she had all but melted into Cosima's body. Even before, as she walked Cosima to the door of her apartment, all flirty compliments and coy smiles and fleeting glances, Cosima was sure she'd read the signals right. Why else would she offer to walk her home, when the brunette was such a short walk away? Why else would she stand there expectantly after the two had said their goodnights and goodbyes? If she didn't want to be kissed, then why else?

She rests her head against the door to her apartment, cursing beneath her breath as she pushes it open and heads inside. She tosses her bag and coat onto a chair. After taking a minute to process everything that just happened, she reaches inside her bag for her phone, staring at it, debating if she should text Delphine.

"But what the hell would I even say?"

Delphine had been so desperate for space, perhaps it would be wise to let her have it for now. Even though she knows it's the logical thing to do, she can't ignore the pounding against her ribcage, the slight tremble in her hands. She could till taste Delphine on her tongue, still feel the heat of her breath on her lips, the smoothness of her thighs as she slid her own leg between them.

"Fuck."

There was absolutely no coming back from this.


	7. VII

**Author's Note:** So here's the next one. Glad you're all enjoying this crazy little fic so far. I honestly didn't expect such a following around it, but it's great as a writer to see others finding joy in your work. Things become a little more complicated in this next one, but don't lose faith :) As always, let me know what you think and enjoy.

* * *

"Still no word then, eh?"

She sighs, leaning back in her office chair and resting her hands behind her head. It's been over a week and she hasn't received so much as a text from the blonde that she'd made out with against the door to her apartment. She decided that giving Delphine space and time was probably the best decision, but after four days without a single word, she caved and texted her doctor a single phrase.

**"Are we okay?"**

There was no response.

"Nope," she answers, shaking her head. "And I'm supposed to meet with her in the morning. I'm due for another round of tests."

"Well, you'll get the chance to talk it out tomorrow. Bright side, yeah?" Sarah says, attempting to lift the scientist's spirits.

"That's if she's still my doctor. For all I know, she could have asked Doctor Leekie to be reassigned. It'd probably be the most appropriate course of action after I stuck my tongue down her throat."

"It takes two to tango, Cos. You said she kissed you back, and she was definitely sending you vibes at the bar. Even Beth picked up on it. It isn't your fault."

"Yeah, but I should have known better. I was stupid and naive. She's my doctor and I'm her subject. I knew it was a bad idea but I didn't want to listen to logic. And the most fucked up thing is that even though I knew it was a bad idea, it didn't feel like one, you know? It didn't feel wrong."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she hears Felix cry out in the background. "Blondie's totally into you."

"Exactly," Sarah reinforces. "You probably just caught her off guard and she freaked. She's probably never even snogged a girl before. It's kinda a huge step, not only snogging a girl, but snogging a girl that happens to be your subject. Bit of a mind fuck."

"I guess I'll find out tomorrow," she mumbles.

"Okay. Well, I have some shit to sort out. I'll talk to you later. Let me know how it goes, yeah?"

"Yeah. Right. See you later."

Cosima presses a button on her laptop and the video chat closes. She reaches for the spliff that's resting on her desk, placing it between her lips and inhaling deeply as she lights it, pulling the smoke into the chamber of her lungs and holding it there. She can't help but feel like a total fool, like she messed everything up between her and Delphine. The thought of losing the doctor for good sends an icy chill down her spine; Delphine was the first person she ever met that she was able to really connect with. She can't bear the thought of losing that because she couldn't keep it in her pants. She exhales a long, hazy breath, watching as the smoke rises into the air and eventually disperses.

"But was I really so wrong?" she asks herself.

She had seen it in Delphine's eyes. She was so damn certain. Sarah and Felix and even Beth had seen it, too. They couldn't all be delusional. Was Sarah right? Did she just catch the doctor off guard? Right or wrong, the only thing she really knows is that they have to clear the air between them, that they have to sort things out. She can't just pretend like it never happened.

Delphine has gotten too far inside for that.

* * *

Cosima's standing in front of Delphine's office, head hanging low, debating whether or not to knock. She could always lie, say that something came up and reschedule her appointment, but she'd still have to face Delphine eventually and the uncertainty was eating at her like a particularly malignant form of cancer. She knocks softly on the door three times and then pauses, giving the blonde a moment to compose herself if necessary. She takes a deep breath, expels it, then reaches for the knob and pushes the door open, sliding in.

She's met with a strange wave of relief when she sees Delphine on the other side of the door. She had feared that the doctor may have requested to be removed from her case, but apparently she wasn't so easily deterred, which gave Cosima a sense of hope. The doctor is seated behind her desk, chewing on her bottom lip a little harder than usual.

"Uh, hey," Cosima musters, attempting to permeate the awkward tension.

Delphine looks up, but she doesn't greet the clone with one of her disarming smiles as she usually does. She simply nods, motioning for Cosima to take a seat adjacent to her. The brunette crosses her arms over her chest, trying to hide the offense that the doctor's cold welcome has inflicted. Delphine shuffles through a few beige folders before she finally finds the one she's looking for. She flips it open and proceeds with the first question.

"Have you been experiencing any sort of physical-"

"Excuse me?"

Delphine stops, finally looking up from her files to engage the brunette for the first time since their kiss. When she sees the equally pained and pissed off expression on Cosima's face, she swallows her own emotions and starts once again.

"Have you been experiencing any-"

"Are you fucking serious?"

The tone in Cosima's voice is one she's not used to hearing. Prior to that very moment, only sweetness had been reserved for her. In fact, she's never heard the dreadlocked girl take on an angry tone at all, but as the two sit across from each other, Delphine averting her eyes in shame and Cosima glaring dangerously, the blonde knows she's in for a hurricane of fire and fury.

"Cosima-"

"Don't even."

Delphine sighs.

"What do you want me to say?"

Cosima begins to laugh in disbelief, as if the blonde is completely clueless. They both know better, though. Delphine is no fool and the clone refuses to allow her doctor to play the part; it's far too easy and far too insulting.

"Oh, I don't know," Cosima begins, making no attempt to hide her anger or annoyance. "Maybe something about last week? You know, when we kissed? That might be a good place to start."

She stares expectantly at the French woman, waiting for her to speak, to justify her behaviour. Delphine rakes a hand through her tresses, then brings it down to cover her mouth, meeting Cosima's angry gaze from the safety provided to her by the large, glass desk which separates them. Cosima's anger is like a hot iron rod, branding her a liar, a traitor. While the brunette normally finds the doctor's puppy dog eyes to be endearing, she has lost the patience for them. There is no more room for feigning ignorance or pleading forgiveness. She needs an explanation.

"There's nothing to talk about," the doctor finally says.

Cosima shakes her head, trying to shed the insult and disappointment the blonde has bombarded her with. She leans in closer, her eyes serious and penetrating but her voice low and shaking.

"Are you honestly gonna sit there and tell me that that kiss didn't mean anything to you?"

Delphine bites down on her lip even harder. Cosima is wounded and its a wound she never wished or intended to inflict. She was her doctor, after all. It was her job to prevent the wounds and treat them when they did occur, not cause the lacerations herself and then proceed to rub salt in them.

"I didn't say that," she replies, lowering her voice into a soft whisper and mirroring the clone's previous action, leaning a little closer towards Cosima. "It's just... it can't happen again."

Cosima shifts in her seat, blinking rapidly, as if she is unable to process Delphine's words. She heard them, but still has trouble actually believing them. How could she, when the doctor's mouth said one thing and her eyes said another?

"It isn't professional," Delphine justifies.

"Yeah, well, neither is showing up at my school," Cosima snaps. "Neither is eating truffles and smoking a joint with me. Neither is going out for drinks with me and my friends-"

"I know that!"

The worst part is that Cosima knows the doctor is right. It isn't professional. She never should have held her hand at Nuit Blanche, or brought her that stupid eskimo pie, or invited her to smoke a joint and look at stars with her. She knows full well that they both crossed the line, but she wanted to believe that it didn't matter because in those moments spent with the doctor, Delphine really made her believe that it didn't.

Delphine inhales a deep breath before slowly expelling it, centering herself. She stands up, venturing around her desk until she's standing directly in front of Cosima.

"I'm your monitor. It's my job to observe your progress, to remain objective. I can't do my job and kiss you at the same time, Cosima," she says gently. "I can't sit here, taking your blood and asking you all these question when the only thing on my mind is how you taste and how you smell and how you feel. You're a scientist, Cosima. You understand the importance of integrity. This data is sensitive. We can't risk corrupting-"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. You've made your point."

Her words are low and bitter, a painful acceptance. Delphine sighs, her shoulders dropping as she watches her subject slowly deflate and accept defeat. She reaches out for Cosima, desperate to make her understand, because she doesn't think that the brunette really does.

"Cosima-"

"I'm just your subject," Cosima cuts her off.

She stands up so that she is somewhat level with Delphine, or as level as she can be with their height difference. Her eyes are a strange combination of hot and cold, of glass and metal, transparent and opaque at the very same time; she tries her hardest to keep her composure and muffle her emotions, but the blonde can see the hurt bubbling beneath the surface.

"I'm just some freak experiment. Because I'm not a person, because I don't have feelings or dreams of my own-"

"I never said that!" Delphine shouts, unable to listen to the brunette's self-deprecation for a second longer.

"But you did! You did say that!" Cosima shouts back, matching Delphine. "You wanna pretend like you don't feel it, like we don't mean anything to each other, like I'm just your project? Do you have any idea how insulting that is? We can't just pretend, Delphine. Not anymore. Not now that we know what this is."

Her eyes meet the doctor's, pleading and wavering and searching for acknowledgment. Delphine wants to oblige her, to tell her that she's right because they both know that she is, but she simply can't; admitting it would be the end, would lead to a far worse pain than the one they're both experiencing now.

"Well, we'll have to try."

The impact of her words sting, leaving a heavy impression on the brunette. She finds herself on the verge of tears and unable to be in Delphine's presence anymore, so she makes a beeline towards the door. Seeing this, Delphine manages to catch her arm.

"Cosima-"

"Just... _don't_," Cosima warns, whipping around. "Don't call me anymore. Don't show up at my school. Don't show up in my life. We'll see each other in this room every other month and as far as you're concerned, I don't exist outside of these walls. Okay? Does that make you happy? Is that _professional_ enough for you?"

It's the European's turn to plead upon realizing the scope of the damage done. She had never imagined that such malice would be directed at her. She had never imagined that such malice even existed in the petite brunette and that she would be the one to bring it out of dormancy. It made her feel weak and nauseous.

"Cosima, emplease/em."

It's too late. The clone is through the door, slamming it behind her. Delphine considers following her, but making a scene in the halls of the institute doesn't seem like such a good idea to her, so she lets Cosima go and falls back into her chair, burying her face in her hands, unable to shake the feeling like she has just made a terrible mistake.

* * *

She's reclining in her bathtub, shielded from the world by a thin layer of bubbles and the scent of lavender, attempting to soak away the events of the day. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees Cosima's own glossy ones staring back at her, hears her wavering voice, feels all the anger and hurt and confusion directed at her. She brings her hand to her lips, dragging her fingertips across them as she remembers the feel of Cosima's; soft yet firm, warm and tantalizing and demanding all at the same time. She's been replaying that moment in her head from the very second she pulled away, unable to purge it from her memory.

She had liked kissing Cosima.

Even though she knew it wasn't the wisest decision, her body received Cosima as if it was born to do so, as if it was all so natural. If she had blocked out the nagging voice in the back of her head, the one that sounded eerily similar to Leekie's, then she knew she would have ended up in Cosima's bed that night. That's what scared her.

She lived a life guided by boundaries, by paths to be followed and lines never to be crossed. Cosima turned this entire notion upside down and had her questioning every choice she ever made. She had always done as she was told with the faith that she would someday find a higher meaning in her actions, but she had felt a greater sense of purpose against Cosima's door with the clone's lips on hers than she ever had by following the path lined out for her.

_"I'm just some freak experiment."_

Her heart painfully throbs at the thought. The truth is, she sees Cosima as the complete opposite. She is so much more than just an experiment. Hell, she is so much more than just a human. She is the embodiment of light and Delphine, like a flower in a dark room, found herself constantly leaning towards her.

She rises from the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body as she bends over to pull the plug out of the drain, watching the water slowly decrease until it vanishes completely down the drain. She pulls the clip from her hair, allowing her golden locks to descend and she runs a hand through them, releasing a heavy sigh. She thought that pushing Cosima away would somehow be easier than letting her get any closer then she already was, but she was wrong. As she slides into her bed, trying to convince herself that Cosima will be fine, that she'll get over it eventually and be better off for it, she realizes just how bad of a liar she really is. Her mother had always told her this, that she would make a lousy spy because her true intentions always shone through her eyes and were present with every subtle lip bite. She wonders if Cosima saw them as she lied through her teeth earlier, trying to dismiss her feelings.

She _had_ to have known.

She ponders this as she tosses and turns, trying to find sleep, watching the hours slip by on the digital clock on her nightstand.

But what if she didn't?

What if she actually believed that Delphine didn't care? What if she actually believed that Delphine only saw her as a subject, as some "freak experiment," as she had put it? Somehow, the thought of Cosima believing these lies scares her far more than crossing boundaries. She kicks the covers off, sliding out of the bed. It's a little after three o'clock in the morning, but she doesn't care. She knows Cosima is still awake, probably tossing and turning in her own bed, trying to make sense of her own emotions, just like Delphine was doing. She slips into a pair of jeans and a sheer, white tank top, then grabs her jacket.

There's only one place for her to go now.

Only one thing for her to do.


	8. VIII

**Author's Note:** Here's the next one! Just to give you a heads up, it is rated **M** for sexy-times, so if you're not cool with smut, you may want to just ignore this one. But I'm hoping you're all cool with smut, because I actually have a lot of fun writing it. Enjoy!

* * *

"Seriously? For fuck sake."

The persistent knocking on her door finally grates on her last nerve and she kicks her legs free from her bedsheets, slamming her laptop shut and sliding out of the comfort of her bed. She's been trying to ignore the gentle rapping, but it eventually grows louder and steadier and she finds herself unable to block out it. It's far too late (or perhaps too early) for company and even though she's wide awake, she's in no mood to interact with the outside world. She wonders how someone could have even gotten into her building without her buzzing them up, but then she remembers the burnouts living below her who spend the better part of their night sitting out front, smoking bowls and listening to terrible rap music with the door propped open and she realizes that whoever's at her door must have slipped by them. She places her laptop on top of the accumulating mess on her desk, huffing over to the door, prepared to give whoever's on the other side a piece of her mind.

After storming out of DYAD, she'd headed straight home, opting for her bed and an X-Files marathon instead of classes. Anything to take her mind off of Delphine, really. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it through a lecture without either crying or shouting, so she retreated to the safe, reliable comfort of Mulder and Scully to distract her from the aching in her chest. While the dynamic duo were usually a surefire way to lift her spirits, they had fallen short this time. She contemplated calling Sarah, but she knew her British counterpart would have hustled over to the institute and most likely given the blonde an ass-kicking to remember and she didn't want to hurt her. She _wanted_ to want to, to make Delphine feel as shitty as she'd made her feel, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't even bring herself to hate the doctor.

That was the problem.

Her life would be so much easier if she could vilify the blonde, but despite Delphine's harshness, despite just reasons, she still can't bring herself to see the French woman as anything less than perfect. She'd spent the entire day trying to convince herself to hate the slender blonde, but she only grew to hate herself a little more instead. She realized that it wasn't Delphine she was really angry at, it was herself. She'd been foolish. She'd let her guard down. She hadn't meant to, but the prospect of sharing something with someone that was real was just too much for her.

Cosima had never had any serious relationships mainly for the reason that she felt as though she couldn't be entirely honest with others; she couldn't disclose her true nature and so, she was always doomed to keep a part of herself, perhaps the most important part, locked away from the rest of the world. When she'd met the doctor, when they'd held hands or smoked a joint or exchanged fleeting glances over drinks or kissed in the hallway, it sparked a dormant hope in her, one she wasn't even consciously aware she had; the hope that she'd finally found someone she could give herself to completely and, in turn, receive completely; the hope that she could finally let herself _breathe_, not having to over think every word or gesture; the hope that she could just _be. _She's certain this is worse than any breakup she's ever had. The ridiculous part is that her and Delphine were never even together.

She finally reaches the door with a scowl on her face. She peers through the spy hole, prepared to see an annoying neighbour or perhaps a homeless person who has wandered into the building. She isn't prepared to see Delphine standing on the other side. She doesn't know what compels her to open the door, but she does.

"Delphine?"

She's completely baffled.

The French woman is standing there, resolute. She wears an unnameable expression, her eyes meeting Cosima's in a steady gaze. There is no hint of remorse or confusion in them, but they glimmer with a newfound knowledge that the brunette isn't privy to. Cosima knows she should slam the door in her face, that she should call the doctor out for being a coward, but Delphine's expression traps her in place, mesmerizing her.

"You were right."

Cosima doesn't know what she's referring to, but the blonde invites herself in, crossing the threshold, each stride she takes filled with great purpose. Cosima closes the door and when she turns back around to face Delphine, she notices that the blonde is unnervingly close.

"I-I was? Um, about what exactly?"

When she had conversed with Delphine that morning, the blonde had clearly defined the boundaries of their relationship and Cosima, as hurt and angry and foolish as she felt, had reluctantly accepted them.

_Strictly professional._

And yet here she is, in Cosima's apartment in the dead of night, not by any invitation of the clone's but of her own accord. The brunette can't even begin to make sense of her doctor's actions but as the taller girl closes in, she feels her own nervousness begin to ball in her throat, causing her to back up a step until she is trapped between the door and the doctor who is now far too close to be "strictly professional."

"We can't pretend," Delphine clarifies.

She reaches forward, capturing the smaller girl's face in her hands and pulling herself a little closer. Their bodies are pressed against each other as Delphine studies the clone's face, enthralled, dragging the pads of her thumbs over her cheekbones, jawline, and then swiping one across the brunette's lower lip as she bites her own. Cosima's heart is pounding against her ribcage, threatening to break free from its prison of bone and flesh. She's lightheaded and dizzy, eyes fluttering like the wings of a moth flying far too close to a flame, only this flame is the elegant French woman standing before her, dripping with intensity.

"Delphine?"

She stares up into the blonde's eyes, but they've lost their doe-like quality. They're dark and deep now, determined. She sharply pulls Cosima's face into her own and their lips meet. Cosima is quick to respond, her eyes closing and lips parting. She threads her fingers through Delphine's hair and the doctor's hands go to her waist, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and pulling her impossibly closer. Their lips continue to dance, their tongues explore; there's no hesitation in the French woman now as her hands toy with the hem of Cosima's shirt, slowly sliding underneath to gently travel the plains of her taut stomach. The brunette's breath hitches as soon as she feels Delphine's hands make contact with skin.

Delphine pries her lips away, taking note of Cosima's shift in demeanor. She thinks it's a good shift, but then she's never touched a woman this way before, so she can't be entirely sure. Her hands stop, resting on the the clone's abs while she meets Cosima's gaze, searching for permission.

"Is this... okay?" Delphine asks.

Cosima expels a throaty chuckle, nodding eagerly as she pulls Delphine's mouth back towards her own, silencing her with another searing kiss, allowing lips to be her answer. It's more than okay. To emphasize this point, she reaches down for Delphine's hands, guiding them higher up until they come to rest on her breasts, bare beneath the fabric of her top. They both groan at the contact and their lips break apart again.

Delphine is staring down at her. There's a look of amazement in her eyes, like a blind man seeing for the very first time, fascinated and overwhelmed by the sensory overload. It elicits a toothy grin from the spectacled girl. She can't remember the last time someone looked at her like this, then it dawns on her that no one ever has. She pulls her top over her head, leaving her upper half completely exposed to the blonde's hungry gaze. Her hands find Delphine's once again, resting on top of them as they caress her breasts. She arches into the doctor's touch and Delphine takes this as encouragement, running her thumbs over Cosima's nipples, kneading gently, watching intently. Cosima licks her lips and continues to watch the blonde watch her, stifling a moan as Delphine slowly familiarizes herself with the terrain of her body.

"I've never...," she mumbles absently.

"I know. It's okay," Cosima reassures her. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

Delphine nods as Cosima's hands pull hers away. Their fingers intertwine and the brunette leads her through the tiny apartment, stopping once they reach the bedroom. She spins herself around so that she's facing Delphine once again, wrapping her arms around her neck. The blonde's hands instinctively go to her waist. Their foreheads press together, but they don't kiss, only bask in the proximity. Cosima's grinning from ear-to-ear, flushed and giggling, and the European can't stop her own grin from spreading.

"What?" she asks, inquiring into the brunette's soft laughter.

Cosima shakes her head, as if she's too embarrassed to admit the truth. Delphine's fingers are now toying with the drawstring of Cosima's pajama pants and she continues to press, determined to extract an answer from the suddenly coy clone.

"_Dis-moi_," she whines.

Cosima's giggling finally relents for a moment. She tries to compose herself, but she's still grinning like a fool as she explains the source of her giddiness.

"I just got felt up by my hot French doctor," she says, her voice laced with both pride and astonishment.

"You're like a little child, Cosima," Delphine retorts, rolling her eyes.

Cosima is laughing again. She takes a few steps backwards, leading the blonde further into the bedroom, stopping when they reach the foot of her bed. She then slips a leg between Delphine's, her thigh brushing against the taller woman's center. It's like the night they first kissed in front of her door, only the doctor doesn't push her away this time, much to the American's delight. Delphine moans as the shorter girl grinds her thigh a little harder against her, then leans over so her lips are at the blonde's ear, her breath hot and teasing.

"Believe me, I'm definitely not a child," she purrs.

She smirks when she hears Delphine's quiet whimper, but her smugness is quickly erased when her monitor tugs on her dreads, forcing her head back gently. She drags her lips across Cosima's jawline, peppering it with kisses and soft nibbles.

"_Bien_."

Her lips find Cosima's again and the clone goes stumbling backwards onto the bed, Delphine's weight on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. She knows Delphine's never been with a woman before and she can't help but be impressed; the blonde is either a natural or a fast learner, probably both. As their lips collude with one another, she runs a hand up and down the brunette's torso, deft fingers tracing the curvature of her breasts, the rungs of her ribs, her jutting pelvic bone, encircling her navel. She commits it all to memory, a jolt of electricity shooting through her every time she feels Cosima's muscles tense beneath her.

"You are so soft," she croons against Cosima's lips.

She says it more for her own ears rather than Cosima's, as if she's coming to terms with how radically different Cosima is from all of her past partners, still wading through her own disbelief over the events that are currently unfolding. She hasn't been with many men; she isn't the type for one-night stands or flings. She's had a handful of semi-serious relationships, all of which failed due to her devotion to her schooling or career rather than her lover at the time. She's never really noticed before how hard and angular men are, how demanding their very presence is. Cosima is soft and malleable. She both gives and receives and never evokes a sense of entitlement. Her kiss is both patient and hurried, her touch both soft and firm. She is an infinite entanglement of paradoxes, a confound to every theory that's ever crossed the doctor's mind.

As the French woman's eyes rake over her body, following the trail of her gentle hand, the brunette seizes the opportunity and rolls them over so that she's on top, straddling the blonde's waist. There is a look of shock on Delphine's face at first, but it slowly fades away as Cosima gently rocks against her, rolling her hips with a level of expertise. Delphine's lids slowly close and she bites down hard on her bottom lip, focusing on the brunette's movements and nothing else. She feels Cosima's hands reach for the hem of her tank top before pausing. She opens her lids again their eyes meet. Silent understanding flashes between them and Delphine sits up slowly, raising her hands above her head so that Cosima can tug the article up and off. Smiling, Cosima's hands find golden locks, twisting and toying with them as she's perched in the doctor's lap.

"You're beautiful," she whispers.

Delphine can already feel the blush coming on before it manifests itself. She leans forward, stealing a chaste kiss from the smaller girl. Her hands finally untie the drawstring on Cosima's pajama pants, but before she can attempt to pull them down, Cosima lowers the two of them so that the blonde is on her back again. She reaches for the button of Delphine's jeans, freeing it. She then pulls the zipper down slowly and removes them all together, peeling them down the pale woman's long and slender legs and then positioning herself between them.

"You okay?" she asks, looking up at the doctor.

Delphine nods, watching Cosima closely. The brunette's tongue works its way up the plains of her stomach, stopping occasionally to suck and nip at skin. Delphine expels an airy sigh, her breath catching in her throat as Cosima reaches her breasts. The dreadlocked girl reaches under her, unclasping the bra, and Delphine lifts her upper half slightly to maneuver herself out of it. As soon as she is free, Cosima's lips enclose around her left nipple.

"_Merde..."_

Delphine's hands find their place on the back of Cosima's skull, though she has trouble finding purchase in her dreadlocks. She arches her back as Cosima takes more of her breast into her mouth while her hand gently teases the other one. A burst of liquid heat shoots between her legs and her eyes flutter spastically as the sensations overrun her. She can feel the clone smiling against her, pleased with the response, and when Cosima finally relents, the doctor pulls her up and their lips clash again.

She combs her tongue through the brunette's mouth languidly, expertly, brushing against Cosima's own. She's never kissed a woman before, never touched a woman before, but all she knows is that she needs more. As Cosima grinds against her, she bites down on the clone's lower lip, sucking and tugging, swallowing a strangled groan. Her hand reaches lower, finally stopping at the waistband of Cosima's pants and slipping inside. She can feel the heat radiating from Cosima's core and she pauses.

"I... I don't know how...," she begins.

"You're doing fine," Cosima pants, reassuring her.

She reaches down, grabbing Delphine by the wrist and guiding her hand past the waistband of her panties. Delphine's fingers meet a very distinct wetness and both women gasp loudly. Delphine pauses, yet again, taking a moment to absorb all the details; she has touched herself before, but this is very different. Cosima is somehow softer, wetter. Impossibly wet. _Wet for her_. The very thought drags a guttural moan out of her throat.

"Just... do what you would do to yourself," Cosima tries to explain. "Follow your instincts."

Delphine nods, then rolls them over to find a better position, one that grants her more access. She helps Cosima slide out of her remaining clothing, tossing the cotton trousers and panties somewhere behind her. She's reclining on her side now, Cosima on her back, and the French woman's fingers finally begin their nimble dance, tracing Cosima's folds. The clone's eyes drift shut and her breath catches as Delphine slowly teases; she knows the blonde isn't trying to torture her, that she's simply learning the geography, but the soft, tentative nature of her strokes are slowly driving the quirky girl mad. She craves friction more than anything.

"Like this?" she hears the doctor whisper.

Cosima nods, biting down on her lower lip to stifle a trail of obscenities that threaten to slip out. Delphine smiles as she takes in the American's features, slowly gaining confidence. Her strokes become a little quicker, a little harder, and she encircles the smaller girl's clit, causing her body to jerk.

"Fuck!" Cosima snaps, throwing her head back.

Taking her outburst as encouragement, Delphine continues to tease the tiny bundle of nerves, watching Cosima's face intently through dilated pupils; she can see the flush seep across her features, the furrow in her brow, the tightening of her muscles. It sparks a fire in the pit of her stomach and the European can't remember ever being this excited before.

Cosima is moaning.

Cosima is writhing.

_For her._

Unable to contain herself, she slips a finger inside. Cosima yelps and bucks her hips. She's warm and tight and it's the strangest sensation, one that has the blonde nearly salivating. Delphine continues to work her digit in and out, twisting and curling, watching as Cosima thrusts up to meet her. Somehow, it still isn't enough.

She wants to be deeper.

She wants to climb inside of her and inhabit Cosima completely. She wants to feel the brunette enclose around her and smother her, to steal away the oxygen from her lungs and replace it with her thunderous moans and gentle mews. Cosima's legs spread a little wider, as if her body instinctively knows what Delphine is in pursuit of, inviting her in. She smirks and presses a kiss to Cosima's neck, her finger increasing its pace.

"More," Cosima pleads. "More fingers."

Always the attentive one, Delphine does as she's told. The clone continues to guide and encourage her with the occasional demand of "harder" or "faster," with the arching of her back and the rolling of her hips, with the tightening of her muscles around her. She can feel Cosima growing closer. Her entire arm is burning from the strain, but it lacks in comparison to the burning between her legs, so she continues with her ministrations, never tearing her eyes away from Cosima's face.

The clone wails her name as she unravels, her entire body lifting off the bed, a supernova ripping through her, sparking every atom to life. When she is finally able to open her eyes again, the blonde is hovering over her, all smiles and long, fluttering lashes. She showers the American's face with kisses, her lips eventually traveling to the younger girl's ear.

"_Ma cherie_," she whispers.

Cosima smiles, finally finding her voice again.

"You sure you've never done that before?" she asks skeptically through throaty laughter.

Delphine joins in, muffling her giggles in the crook of Cosima's neck.

"_Non_. I can't say that I have."

"Then you're a fast fucking learner," Cosima concludes.

"I'm glad you're... satisfied," Delphine replies, finally settling on the proper word.

"Are you kidding me?" she laughs.

She reaches for Delphine's face, pulling her in. Their lips brush together gently. Delphine drapes herself over the smaller girl's body as she continues to descend from her orgasm, slowly regaining breath and strength. Once she finds enough composure, she wraps her arms around the taller woman and shifts so that Delphine is now under her. She brushes a few golden strands out of the doctor's face for a more complete view.

"Okay. Lesson number two."

She carefully removes her glasses, folding them and placing them on the nightstand. Delphine holds her face in her hands for a moment, familiarizing herself with Cosima's features sans spectacles. Smiling, the clone trails her lips down Delphine's body, starting from her throat, down through the valley of her breasts, over her toned stomach, stopping above the waistband of her panties. The blonde squirms anxiously underneath her, knowing full well what the cheeky girl intends to do. Cosima hooks her fingers through the fabric, peeling it off until Delphine is completely exposed to her. She instinctively goes to close her legs, to cover herself, but Cosima keeps them pried open.

"Don't do that," she scolds. "Don't ever hide. You have no idea how gorgeous you are."

Delphine can't hide the soft blush that spreads throughout her pale body and she smiles down at her grinning lover. Cosima finds it astonishing that someone as immaculate as the French woman splayed out before her could ever be self-conscious. She's like a Greek goddess and yet, she still shies away at every compliment. Perhaps none of her past lovers ever bothered to tell her how stunning she is. She'll make sure to never repeat their mistake.

She leans forward, pressing a lingering kiss right above the patch of soft curls, evoking a soft, airy groan. She takes her time, showering kisses on her thighs, her lips exploring every inch of skin except where she's needed most. Delphine is patient and reserved, but she can feel the doctor's composure slipping away; the blonde reaches down, cupping the back of Cosima's head, attempting to pull her closer to the aching.

"Please," she whines.

Cosima smirks, looking up briefly.

"You're so polite and proper," she teases.

"And you're a little brat."

"Careful now," Cosima laughs. "That's no way to talk to someone who's nestled so conveniently between your legs."

She lowers her head once again, blowing gently on Delphine's center, watching as she writhes beneath her. She doesn't have the mind to tell Delphine that she's just as impatient as she is; she can see the blonde's glistening wetness, feel her warmth radiating, smell her arousal, and it's enough to send her senses overboard. She wants nothing more than to bury her face in Delphine's womanhood, but playfulness is intrinsic to her nature and not so easily shed.

"Cosima, _please_."

Her pleads are deep and earnest and the clone finds herself unable to ignore them any longer.

"Okay," she smiles sweetly. "Your wish is my command."

She guides her tongue through the blonde's sex and is rewarded with what Cosima is certain is now her favourite sound, something between a throaty howl and strangled whimper. Delphine's back immediately arches at the sensation and her one hand grips the back of Cosima's head a little tighter, the other clutching bedsheets at her side. The brunette starts slow, taking her time and making note of every utterance that escapes the blonde's lips, every tense and twitch of muscle. She settles into a rhythm, one that Delphine manages to learn fairly quickly, rolling her hips to meet every broad stroke. She's mewling quiet expletives in her native tongue, gasping every time Cosima's tongue finds its way to her clit to tease.

"_C'est bien..."_

She buries her face a little deeper and Delphine's thighs form a tight vice around her head, clamping the shorter girl in position, threatening glorious suffocation. Cosima holds back a chuckle at Delphine's eagerness, capturing the nub and sucking lightly, forcing the blonde to lift herself off the bed in a strange contortion of muscles and limbs. She doesn't remember the last time someone's been able to do this to her body. Cosima has this intrinsic knowledge of where she's needed, like blood traveling through arteries; she delivers the blonde with a force that's hard and beating, slamming in her ears and chest and stomach and center and fingers and toes, pulsating. She feels wave after wave roll through her and the clone never relents, her clever mouth continuing with purpose until finally the French woman can take no more.

She reaches down, pulling Cosima back up towards her with glossy eyes and a sheepish, satisfied smile on her face. Cosima returns it, then absently wipes her mouth with her hand, removing the doctor's desire from her face. Without a second thought, Delphine finds her lips once again, moaning against them.

"_T'est parfaite_," she whispers.

Cosima presses a kiss to her forehead, the tip of her nose, her lips. She tucks her head beneath the blonde's chin, her body draped over the longer girl's. They lay like that, Cosima tracing tiny, nonsensical patterns on the doctor's chest, Delphine toying with a few vagrant dreads, both unable to fully process their newfound situation.

"So," Delphine says, the first to break the silence. "You're not still angry with me?"

"Well, you were a total bitch before. Just so you know," Cosima replies, the corners of her mouth upturning into a sly smile.

"I know," she mumbles. "And I'm sorry."

"Okay. As long as you know. I forgive you."

Delphine's fingers stop toying with the dreads, dropping down to the smooth plain of the clone's back. She trails them up and down, lightly scratching with her nails, watching tiny goosebumps of flesh rise in their wake.

"You scared me. I scared myself. I didn't know what to do," she tries to explain. "You know, there are no journals published on falling for your subject. There's no research to reference, no theories to abide by. I didn't know how to react."

Cosima lifts her head and turns to face Delphine, resting her chin on the pale woman's sternum. Delphine takes note of the glimmer in her eyes and a flash of pearly whites.

"Falling, hmm?"

Delphine nods.

"I didn't want to. I wasn't supposed to. But the more I tried to convince myself that I hadn't, the more I realized that I had."

Cosima leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She lingers for a moment, brushing her thumb over Delphine's cheek and smiling against her lips.

"I guess I get it," she says upon parting. "It is kind of a clusterfuck of a situation, huh?"

"Cluster... what?"

Cosima giggles at the French woman's confusion.

"Clusterfuck. You know, it's like... nevermind. It's just a messy, complicated situation."

Delphine hums in agreement. The brunette slowly slides herself off her body, rolling off the bed and disappearing into the bathroom.

"We need to keep this quiet. Private. Do you understand?" Delphine says, loud enough so that Cosima can hear her.

"Okay, okay. I get it," she calls back.

Cosima reemerges from the bathroom with a cup of water in hand, drinking greedily. When she's finished, she extends it towards to blonde who readily accepts her offering, bringing the cup to her lips to take a sip of much needed hydration. She crawls back over to Delphine, resting on her knees and straddling the doctor's waist with a shit-eating grin on her face. She watches intently as the French woman places the now empty cup on the nightstand and looks up at her inquisitively.

"So I guess I should call the florist and cancel those dozens roses I had sent to your office...," Cosima teases.

"Cheeky," Delphine remarks, emphasizing her point by playfully smacking Cosima on the rear.

The brunette expels one of her characteristic, contagious chuckles and stares down at Delphine with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Come here, cheeky girl," Delphine purrs, reaching towards the clone.

Cosima obliges.


	9. IX

**Author's Note:** Sorry this one took so long! I've been in New York for the last week or so on an unexpected work trip, so I haven't had the chance to do much creative writing. And forgive me if there are any mistakes with this one, I usually go through and edit once I'm done, but I'm too exhausted to edit so I'm just posting it as is. And for those of you who are also following Shelter, I plan on having it updated when I return home to Toronto this week. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"Good morning," she whispers into the blonde's ear, her voice still thick and scratchy from sleep.

She feels Delphine shift slightly in her arms and mumble something, presumably in French, as she slowly sinks lower, trailing her lips down the column of the French woman's spine. When she awoke with the doctor nestled against her, she was so sure last night had been a dream, that she was still trapped in the illusion, but as she presses gentle kisses to smooth, alabaster skin and is rewarded by tiny moans of approval, she realizes that this moment is realer than anything she has ever experienced before, sharp and sobering.

"Mmm. _Bonjour_," Delphine finally replies, rolling over to face Cosima.

"Did you sleep well?"

Delphine smiles, pressing her lips to Cosima's tenderly, lingering for a moment and breathing in her now familiar scent. Neither of them had managed to grab more than a couple of hours of slumber. There was so much exploring to do, after all; so many plains and dips that craved fingers, bottomless moans that begged for sanctuary within the walls of lungs, and a deep-seated throbbing that craved lips more than anything. Despite the exhaustion the doctor knows she will be feeling later, her body is awake and aflame, impervious to anything that isn't Cosima.

"_Oui_. And you?"

Cosima nods in response, brushing noses with the blonde.

"Of course. I had the softest pillow."

"Ah, I see," Delphine chuckles. "You're just using me for my pillow-like quality."

"Something like that," Cosima teases. "But your charm and wit are close seconds."

"Is that right?"

"Mmhm."

Delphine brings her hand to Cosima's face, her index finger ghosting over her jawline, followed by the bridge of her nose, her cheekbones, her lips. The brunette is glowing, her features a light shade of pink. It's a radiance that Delphine has never witnessed before. She thinks Cosima must be the sun; so full of warmth and light, bringing life to those in her orbit. She smiles widely at the thought.

"What?" Cosima pries upon noticing the doctor's smile, her own signature, lopsided grin etched on her face.

Delphine inches forward, stealing yet another, feather-light kiss.

"_Tu es belle_," she whispers against the clone's lips.

"Jesus. You're gonna make me blush."

"You're already blushing."

They both giggle, Cosima draping her arm over the French woman's stomach and burying her head in the crook of Delphine's neck to muffle her laughter. She inhales deeply, determined to get herself high off the scent of the blonde. Delphine's hand finds the brunette's and their fingers dance idly with one another. Cosima's hands are, in so many ways, her life force; Delphine raises each finger to her mouth, placing soft kisses on the pads of each digit, tasting that force for herself, smiling at the airy sigh the clone expels.

"Can we, like, never move from this position?" Cosima asks, her words muffled against Delphine's neck.

"Mmm. That would be nice, but potentially problematic," the doctor retorts. "The whole world would pass us by."

"Doesn't sound problematic to me."

Her teeth sink into the flesh of the blonde's neck, garnering a surprised gasp, followed by a moan when she takes the opportunity to slip her leg between Delphine's. She can already feel the dampness that's beginning to form and she shifts her head slightly so that her lips are pressed hot against the European's ear.

"Sounds really, really good to me, actually," she murmurs.

Delphine licks her lips and nods, tilting her own head so that she is facing Cosima, her lips hovering over the brunette's.

"_Oui_."

She claims Cosima's lips with a sense of vigor and urgency, one the clone readily returns. She rolls them over so that she's now on top and her hands skim up Cosima's sides, stopping to cup the fullness of her breasts. She is still getting used to the idea of being with a woman, but it comes a lot more naturally than she would have assumed. She grinds herself against Cosima's thigh and her eyes roll back in her head as she feels the electricity travel from her center straight to her brain, then radiate out through the rest of her limbs. As the two begin to find a common rhythm, the sound of Delphine's ringtone draws out a frustrated groan from the blonde. Her phone is in her coat pocket, her coat discarded somewhere on the floor of Cosima's apartment and much too far away for either woman's liking. She pulls her lips away from the dreadlocked girl's and attempts to sit up so that she may roll herself off Cosima and out of bed, but the clone's clever hands are tangled in her curls and prohibit further movement.

"Ignore it," Cosima pants, pulling the blonde's head back down to resume their kiss.

Delphine smiles against Cosima's lips and obliges her. She knows it's foolish to ignore the call; it's most likely Leekie, given that he's the only one who ever seems to call her at an early hour, usually with bad news. Even still, Cosima's mouth and the heat of her body are far more inviting, far more intriguing to her than anything Leekie could have to say, so she allows herself to be foolish and hopeful and naive; she allows herself to be love drunk for the first time in her life. Her phone makes a beeping noise, indicating a new voicemail.

"Who the hell would call you so early anyway?" Cosima muses, rolling their bodies once again so that she's on top.

"It's probably Aldous," Delphine offers. "I imagine he's upset with me."

"And why is that?"

Cosima begins her descent lower, taking her time as her lips start at Delphine's jugular, sucking with enough pressure to leave a faint red mark for the world to see. The blonde releases a prolonged groan and, satisfied, the brunette abandons the throat and drifts even lower.

"He's probably upset over my performance as your monitor," Delphine attempts to explain. "Our first session, I didn't ask you half of the question and you stormed out yesterday before I could ask you any at all. You kind of put me in a tight spot, you know."

Cosima's teasing comes to a screeching halt. She sits up on her knees, straddling the doctor's waist and shooting her an incredulous look.

"_I _put _you_ in a tight spot?"

Delphine can tell by the look in Cosima's eyes that the clone is slightly offended. She tries her best to quickly quell any fires that may break out.

"I didn't mean it like that, _ma cherie_," she replies, reaching up to caress Cosima's face. "I know I was wrong before. I should not have treated you like that. To be fair, though, we were in a tight enough spot to begin with. I think we're both guilty there."

Cosima shrugs, an offhanded agreement. She leans into Delphine's touch, burying her face in her palm. Delphine smiles, accepting the gesture as a form of forgiveness. She lifts herself into a sitting position so that Cosima is now situated firmly in her lap. The clone's arms wrap around her neck and Delphine's find Cosima's waist.

"I guess we should look on the bright side," Cosima says.

"And what's that?" Delphine asks.

"Now you won't have to ask me all those really invasive questions about my sex life."

She smirks at the shorter girl's cheekiness.

"Is that so?"

"Oh yeah."

She leans forward, her mouth finding the hollow of Cosima's throat. She begins licking and sucking, reveling in the sensation of Cosima's vibrating vocal chords as she releases a deep moan. Cosima's hands find purchase in her locks, holding the blonde's head close to her body. She begins to slowly grind her hips.

"Miss Niehaus," Delphine begins, her voice shifting slightly to assume a more jokingly authoritative tone. "How would you describe your last sexual encounter?"

Cosima expels a chesty laugh. She hadn't expected Delphine to play along with her so readily, but she can't complain. A devilish glint sneaks into her eyes.

"Well..."

The blonde continues to torture with her tongue, slowly dipping lower, tracing Cosima's sternum. She grabs a fistful of dreads and pulls, forcing the brunette's head back, her back arching and chest jutting out.

"It was pretty fucking perfect," Cosima sighs as Delphine's mouth finds her nipple.

"Perfect?" she mumbles, biting down gently.

Cosima grinds a little harder in the doctor's lap.

"Totally," she says breathlessly. "And she made the most interesting sounds."

"Really?" Delphine teases, moving to the other breast, drawing out another moan. "What kind of sounds?"

She calls Delphine's bluff, slipping her hand down between them to test her growing arousal. She's pleased to find the blonde slick and receptive. When she feels Cosima's finger teasing at her entrance, the doctor's entire body jerks and she nearly shrieks.

"There you go. That's one of them," Cosima counters, her tone both playful and husky with desire. "Let's see how many more you can make..."

Before she can continue with her challenge, however, her phone begins blaring loudly and Delphine's next sound is one of frustration rather than excitement.

"Ignore it," she says curtly, parroting Cosima's earlier response.

"Is that on doctor's orders?" Cosima asks with a smirk and an arched brow.

"Yes."

"Mmm. Doctor Cormier."

In a rather impressive and unexpected feat of strength, Delphine manages to maneuver them until she has the brunette pinned beneath her on the mattress. Before Cosima has time to make a snarky comment, she silences her with a heavy kiss. They're almost able to forget about the brief interruption until Cosima's phone starts ringing again for the third time in a row. This time, Cosima breaks away.

"Okay. I should probably really get that," she mumbles. "I think they'll keep harassing us until I do."

Delphine releases a defeated sigh and rolls over, freeing the clone. Cosima scoots across the bed and finds her phone on the nightstand, pressing the talk button and bringing it to her ear.

"Alright, alright. I'm here. What's up?"

She definitely doesn't expect a frantic Alison on the other line.

"Cosima? So nice of you to finally answer! We only have, like, a crisis on our hands!"

Cosima sits up a little straighter, suddenly becoming much more serious. Alison has a tendency to exaggerate, as a crisis in her world usually entails a burnt casserole or a stain on her new rug, but the American can tell that her counterpart's panic is different this time.

"Alison? What's going on?"

"It's Beth..."

The line becomes quiet. Cosima rises from the bed and Delphine glances over, confused. The dreadlocked girl begins to pace, as she usually does when she's nervous or combusting with ideas. Her throat becomes sandpaper as she tries to swallow and usher the conversation along.

"Yeah? What about her?"

There is another brief respite in which she can hear Alison's muffled sniffles.

"She... she was shot."

"Shot? What?" she asks in disbelief. "But... but she's okay, right?"

Delphine sits up in the bed, her concern displayed plainly on her face. She can tell by Cosima's demeanor that something terrible has happened, so she waits in silence for the younger woman to fill her in when she has the chance, nervously running a hand through her mane.

"They're taking her in for surgery now," Alison explains.

"Was-was it line of duty or something?" Cosima inquires.

She's somehow unable to make sense of the news.

"Cosima..."

"What? What is it, Alison?"

"She wasn't on duty."

Somehow, this vital piece of information delivers yet another blow to her gut; not only is her friend's life in jeopardy, but someone had shot her intentionally. She rakes her mind, trying to figure out who would want to shoot Beth or why someone would want her dead. She's sure Beth made enemies in her line of work, but coming after a cop is still a ballsy move by most criminals' standards. She manages to calm Alison down slightly and get a little more information out of her. Once she finds out which hospital Beth is at, she dismisses the housewife and hangs up.

"Cosima?" Delphine asks.

Her voice is quiet, tentative.

"You remember Beth?"

Delphine nods.

"Of course."

"Well, someone shot her."

"_Mon dieu_."

"She wasn't even on duty," Cosima explains, throwing her hands up in the air. "Like, why would someone want to kill Beth? It doesn't make any sense."

Delphine feels her stomach sink into her feet. She had allowed herself to become so enamored with Cosima that she nearly forgot the main reason why she inserted herself so forcefully into her subject's life; someone was killing them and whoever it was must have set their sights on Beth.

That means they are in Toronto.

That means that there's only a matter of time before they find Cosima.

As a hurricane of panic and anger spirals in her skull, she looks up to see that Cosima is digging through her dresser for clothes. She isn't discriminate, grabbing a pair of jeans and a large sweater that's about three sizes too big for her and pulling them on.

"Where are you going, Cosima?" she asks, throwing her feet over the side of the bed and slipping out.

"Where do you think? I'm going to the hospital."

She chews on her lower lip and slowly approaches Cosima from behind. She has never seen the quirky young woman so anxious before. She wants to help, but she also wants to keep Cosima safe, so she slides her arms around the smaller girl's waist and pulls her into herself.

"Perhaps... perhaps you shouldn't," she whispers into Cosima's ear.

"What? What are you talking about?" the clone retorts, tilting her head so she can see Delphine.

"Hospitals only allow family members to visit."

Cosima shakes her head, sliding out of Delphine's grasp. She whips around and shoots Delphine an incredulous look, as if she can't believe the doctor is speaking complete madness.

"I am family. Beth is one of us. She's a part of me."

"She probably won't be conscious for some time, either. She won't even know that you're there," Delphine tries.

"That's not the point. I should be there for her anyway."

She buzzes around her apartment until she finally finds her boots, slipping them on while Delphine stands in the doorway to the bedroom, naked and watching.

"Can't we just... stay in bed? You know, like you said before?"

Her voice is so small and defeated, Cosima has no idea where it's coming from. As soon as she has her boots on, she walks over to where Delphine is standing, stopping a couple of feet in front of her. She gives the French woman a once over, trying to unravel her.

"Why are you being so weird about this?" she asks skeptically.

"I'm sorry," Delphine finally speaks, deflating as she does so. "It's just... the person who tried to kill your friend is still out there. Perhaps Beth's bedside is not the safest place right now."

The corners of the brunette's mouth uplift into the slightest grin. She closes the distance between them, cupping Delphine's face in her hands and pressing their foreheads together.

"Hey. I really doubt some psychopath is gonna burst into a hospital and start shooting everyone up, okay?" she coos, trying to reassure her lover.

Delphine nods slowly.

"Then I'm coming, too."

She disappears back into the bedroom, gathering her scattered clothes and pulling them back on as hastily as possible. Cosima lingers in the doorway, a little surprised at Delphine's proclamation.

"You are?"

Once she's dressed, she walks back over to where Cosima is standing and takes the smaller girl's hands in her own. She's reminded of Nuit Blanche, the first night that she held the perfectly small and smooth appendages in her own; it seems like so much time has passed since that night, when really it's only been a couple of months. She hadn't expected her lift to shift so radically in such a short amount of time, but here she was, unable to deny the profound effect Cosima was having on her.

"Beth is not _my_ subject, but she's still a subject. Aldous will want to hear of this, if he hasn't already," she explains. "And... Beth is important to you. Let me be here for you. Please."

Cosima is beaming once again and the blonde can't help but think that such a face should be reserved only for gleaming smiles and cocky smirks; panic and sorrow and anger and pain have no place in Cosima's life, as far as she's concerned.

"Okay. Let's go."


End file.
